Failing Faster - Economic Development Australia...Failing Faster IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT To fail...
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Failing Faster APPLYING LESSONS FROM ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO THE GOVERNMENT CONTEXT DAVID ARCHER
Failing Faster - Economic Development Australia...Failing Faster IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT To fail faster in Economic Development we have a couple of options – in some cases we can
Failing FasterAPPLYING LESSONS FROM ENTREPRENEURSHIP
TO THE GOVERNMENT CONTEXT DAVID ARCHER
Why fail faster?
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Fail faster – many will have heard these buzz words in the business community. Why would we want to fail? What sort of failure are they talking about? And is it possible to fail more consistently in government?
The theory.Pathway to realising a vision
Embrace uncertainty
Step forward bravely, or trial audacious ideas in the real world
Accept feedback and outcomes
Recommend next steps
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No concrete theories in circulation, but from what I could gather… Failing faster is a pathway to realising a vision, proponents aren’t saying that failing per-se should be celebrated, but understood in the context of the vision that was trying to be achieved. The next part, which is both uncomfortable, and difficult for government is the next element – embracing uncertainty. What if the best intentions, with planning that is not exhaustively thought through and documented, causes angst within part of the community we serve? Move decisively, and step forward. In some instances, just do it. In other instances, commence a trial. Take on board feedback. Recognise why something is not working. Make a call, do more of the same, or less of the same.
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
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So to put that into government-speak, I’ve created a fail-faster cycle.
Failing FasterON A GRAND SCALE
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
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The vision was to have a beach without a 20t carcass rotting on it. Unfortunately it was on one of our least accessible beaches!
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
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Presentation Notes
By late in the afternoon, after two failed attempts to tow the whale out to sea, and acknowledgement that the whale was breaking into pieces, things were getting desperate, and an excavator was moved onto the beach in an attempt to break the whale into smaller pieces for removal.
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
Vision
Embrace Uncertainty
Step forward, bravelyFeedback
Recommend
Presenter
Presentation Notes
Taking on board the feedback, Council made a decision to pursue a different path at short notice
To fail faster in Economic Development we have a couple of options – in some cases we can kick on and put an idea to the test on the ground, in others we can implement a new council policy as a “trial”. Here’s some examples from our work.
Test an idea on the ground.
#backtobusinessweek
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Our 2017 effort to run back to business week – sponsored by the NSW Department of Industry - was a classic tale of failing faster. With two weeks notice and $5000 in our hands, we arranged three “pop-up shop” events around the region and a guest speaker at a major event at the end of the week. With 90 guests at the major event – all from local small businesses, it was a smashing success.
#creativewauchope
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Creative Wauchope is a project that came out of a different failing-faster project. In talking to local business owners about ideas for filling vacant shopfronts in our little town of Wauchope, the idea arose to develop some joint branding and a boutique walking trail. This is still a work in progress, with opinions still out on whether it will be cut free, or taken further.
#motorcyclefriendlywauchope
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Motorcycle Friendly Wauchope is an initiative that we’re building in partnership with the Wauchope Chamber of Commerce. Note that this facebook group now has over 1000 members. What we’ve established is a group of riders from across NSW that have a keen interest in visiting the region, creating an opportunity for targeted marketing by local businesses. Unfortunately, although the region is now topping lists of riding destinations, business engagement with the facebook group is relatively low, so some work needs to be done around educating businesses about the opportunity.
Run a trial.
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We’re starting to develop a bit of a habit of trialling a new policy prior to implementing – this reduces unnecessary objection by those not affected given they are made aware that it is a trial, and provides an opportunity to see how something works in practice before making it permanent. A fairly recent example is our 12 month trial of the Local Preference Policy. Implemented without a trial period, we would expect some strong feedback by a few members of the business community during public exhibition. With the trial period in place, the community is getting the opportunity to experience the actual material impact that the policy is having, and Council is getting a sense of the impost of managing the new procurement issues created.
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From 1 July 2016 we ran a 12 month outdoor dining trial in our towns and villages – offering free application and rental for all outdoor dining outside of Port Macquarie
Thoughts.
What are the impediments to using fail-fast methods more often?
How else can we fail faster?
What other lessons form entrepreneurship can we apply?
![Failing Schools[1]](https://img.pdfslide.us/doc/110x75/577d2db41a28ab4e1eae1fd8/failing-schools1.jpg)
