1. Patricia Seybold Group / Case Study
Developing Change Agents to Spawn Grass
Roots Innovation and Transformation in Africa
Lessons Learned from Rural Africa Could Apply to Your Organization!
By Patricia B. Seybold, CEO and Senior Consultant, Patricia Seybold Group April 9, 2009
NETTING IT OUT Take-Aways for Fostering Innovation and
Replicating the Innovation Process
The Uganda Rural Development and Training
Programme (URDT) has become a hotbed of
Here are the take-aways from URDT’s proven
innovative practices in integrated rural devel-
approach to grass roots innovation which has
opment. In this report, we focus on the innova-
been successful in rural Uganda for over 20
tions that URDT has created and the unique
years:
innovation transfer process that they are cur-
rently piloting through the training and deploy- Build a Culture of Customer-Led Innovation
ment of committed young women as change
agents in rural communities. • Promote a creative orientation (within and
outside your organization).
Many other development efforts have failed to
create long-lasting results because too often • Instill multi-disciplinary, holistic systems
any progress made by an individual is cut short thinking as a cultural norm
by the weakest link in that person’s life. For ex-
ample, a child might successfully enroll in • Engage community members and stake-
school, but then die of malaria. Or a woman holders in co-design
might learn how to start a small business, but
then be prevented by her husband from doing How to Replicate Your Innovation Engine
so.
• Attract and train visionary change agents.
URDT provides an integrated approach based
on the concept that to achieve lasting develop- • Ground them in creative orientation, vision-
ment, people must become empowered in all ary leadership, customer co-design, cross-
areas of their lives, including education, health, disciplinary systems thinking, and practical
economic self-reliance, human rights, and civic skills.
participation. Since its inception, URDT has
helped thousands of people improve their lives • Send them out to seed and nurture innova-
and has received accolades from international tion by working with customers in the field;
organizations for its innovative approaches. Let them learn by doing, failing, and learn-
ing from their mistakes. Provide coaching
URDT’s training of local people, especially and celebrate successes.
women, to become leaders and creators, is
changing the way rural communities work. • Network your change agents together and
Might similar practices work to spark customer- to the “mother ship” to share learnings and
led innovation among your stakeholders? innovations from the field.
Direct link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1571/cs04-09-09cc
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