FAILFaire

A few months ago, we noted that we had been hearing buzz and feedback in the news about the FailFaire concept, and had caught wind of the format taking hold among new industries (in addition to our own focus, which is technology and international development).

While our original FailFaire events were inter-organizational and we invited a range of practitioners and organizations in the field, the concept is also well suited as an intra-organizational exercise. Hosting a private internal FailFaire can be helpful for honestly reviewing past performance, better sharing lessons learned, building capacity, and brainstorming solutions to prevent the same mistakes from being made again within your individual organization’s internal framework.

In this vein, we’ve heard that the World Bank, UNICEF and Ashoka, an organization focused on supporting and promoting social-entrepreneurship worldwide, have all hosted their own variations of internal FailFaires.

At Ashoka’s event in November, nearly 50 people attended in person, and many international staff from around the world called in. Our friends who helped put on the event reported that it was a huge hit, and people are already requesting another one next year. Ashoka’s Human Resources team is encouraging staffers and country offices to host their own variations of the internal event within their own teams.

While the specific takeaways and failed projects which were presented are, naturally, only available internally - you can read a roundup blogpost about their event here.

And, if you are inspired to host your own, check out our how-to guide to creating a killer FailFaire as a primer.

We’re not the only ones talking about M4D and ICT4D fails! We were thrilled to learn that the Dutch Institute for Brilliant Failures (yes, it’s a real organization - devoted to highlighting the importance of experimentation and failure in progress in innovation) recently instated a new prize specifically for the development aid sector in 2010.

As it turns out, our good friends at Text To Change recently won the distinct honor of an Audience Award for their first HIV/AIDS text message quiz program in Uganda! We asked Josette de Vroeg from Text To Change’s office in the Netherlands, to explain:

Q: What is the Institute of Brilliant Failures, and what is the new Transparency Award in the Development Aid Sector?

The goal of the Institute of Brilliant Failures is to bring about a shift in the way we view failure - to promote a positive view of failure through the use of stories, film, interactive workshops, and road shows. The institute is a tribute to inventors and those who had the courage to try something different, and a way of laying down a challenge for the rest of us.

After lots of criticism on development aid the Dutch Institute of Brilliant Failures has initiated a new award for the development aid sector. The idea of this annual award is: without failure, no progress.

Time and time again history has shown us that our most valuable experiences are more likely to come from mistakes than from successes. We learn from our failures and our failures are a source of inspiration for others. In this respect failure is not only an option but failure is also necessary. The new Transparency Award in the Development Aid Sector is created to stimulate openness and transparency in this sector.

Q: Why do you think recognizing failure is important, particularly in our field of ICT and aid/development?

Recognizing failure is very important because people and organizations can learn from each other. People are afraid to be associated with failure and this blocks the learning capacity. The key is to dare to learn and innovate by interacting. We think an open dialogue regarding the complexity of development aid, well thought attempts and common failures is a requirement.

Due to the fact that TTC received this audience award a big step is made towards more openness and transparency in the development aid sector. We are very proud to win this award and will definitely participate in the competition next year. We hope more organizations will have more brilliant failures and participate than this year. We hope organizations will realize that this is not a public humiliation but an opportunity to create more success stories.

Q: Tell us, what was Text to Change’s Brilliant Failure?

TTC is a non-profit organization that allows mobile phone users in Africa to participate in text message quizzes and win prizes through interactive education and development programs. This year, 6 out of 10 people in Africa own a mobile phone. Text to Change challenges participants by sending multiple choice questions not only on health subjects but also on economic development.

Our Brilliant Failure was our first project that spread out an HIV/AIDS text message quiz in Uganda.

Nobody ever tried this before. We thought everything was taken care of, nothing could go wrong. We were focused on content, technique and our financial means, except for…the SMS code that the Ugandan government would provide us. The morning of the project’s launch we were told the SMS code was 666 and this caused a lot of commotion. 666 is the devil’s number and the involved partners were all Christians, and wanted to stop the project. Fortunately, we were able to change the SMS code into 777.

Q: What is the big lesson learned/what should we all keep in mind when designing similar projects?

No matter how well prepared you are, keep in mind that unexpected things can happen. We were so focused on all external factors that we forgot to check our own SMS code in advance. Never assume that you are in total control.

This week, an interdisciplinary group of investors, social entrepreneurs, funders, innovators - including innovators in the ICT4D and mobiles for social impact space, have gathered at the sold-out conference, SOCAP 10 (Social Capital Markets).

Inspired by the first NYC and Washington, DC FailFaires, Catapult Design checked out our tips on “Rolling Your Own Failfaire” and decided that the SOCAP audience too would be ripe to openly and honestly discuss the challenges and failures within social enterprise. We hope participants will engage in a robust conversation and heed eachothers’ lessons and avoid reinventing the wheel and making the same mistakes as they embark on future projects and programs!

If you are at the event today, Tuesday Oct. 5th, check out the FailFaire session at 11am.

Here’s the original informational blogpost published over at Catapult Design’s blog:

Catapult hosts first SOCAP FAILFaire

Join Catapult Design on Day Two at SOCAP ’10 in San Francisco for the first west coast FAILFaire, a forum for open and honest discussion around failed initiatives within social enterprise. Moderated by Catapult, all SOCAP attendees are invited to participate by presenting their failures that led to greater understanding or later successes. Whether it be a failed initiative, a failed business relationship, or a failure in implementation, we will provide a safe venue for discussion, insight, and lessons learned. The objective of the 90-minute session: to learn from the mistakes of others, and perhaps contribute to someone else’s success in the process.

The first FAILFaire was organized by MobileActive, a non-profit connecting people, organizations, and resources using mobile technology for social change, in New York and followed by a DC FAILFaire hosted by the World Bank. Originally focused on fail stories from ICT and mobile development, the SOCAP FAILFaire opens up the topic to social enterprise and technology. As an organization focused on the development of transformational technologies for people living in disadvantaged communities, we’ve witnessed firsthand the profusion of abandoned and ignored technologies collecting dust in rural hospitals, schools, and homes. We’ve also witnessed organizations falling prey to the same mistakes made by previous organizations. Yet these stories are for the most part hidden, when they could directly benefit the community at large.

So if you’ve been part of a project that didn’t quite work out, join us on October 5th and tell your story! We want to hear and learn from you.

For those who can’t attend, check back on our blog for the major takeaways from the event!