Good Deeds Go Unnoticed.

Positive, well-intentioned, brilliant innovations that promote dignity, health, safety, and environmental quality wither and fade unless integrated into some larger, coordinated effort that has meaningful, collective impact.  Louis Boorstin’s article, Quest for Scale, illustrates the necessity of thinking beyond the impacts of our individual projects.  We must evaluate the success of these projects as having larger lasting impacts on our mounting 21^st century challenges.  No matter how well intended and feasible our individual projects might be, we are negligent if, before we invest in their implementation, we don’t first consider how our efforts contribute to scalable, durable solutions.   Boorstin learned valuable lessons as a member of a Gates foundation team targeting water and sanitation in Africa.  He suggests we ask hard questions about the impact, sustainability, and scalability of every innovation.  Scaling up and Collective Impact are necessary strategies for constructing sustainability.