You didn’t have to post my bio! Thanks anyway!

Thank you so much for your comment! I definitely agree with you on not reinventing the wheel, at the BOP there is a very real imperative to efficiently allocate resources. I think the point I was trying to make was that scalability isn’t the end all answer as some discussions and orgs purport. Is it important strategy at the BOP? Yes it is, there is alot of potential in microfranchising orgs like visionspring & SHE enterprises, but from my point of view I can only see these models teaching actors not to see their local challenges as local opportunities, and I think that’s a big key in sustainable developmental change, is equipping the people served, with the ability to see their personal circumstances as opportunties, similar to William Kamkwamba’s ability to see the need for power and building a windmill to meet that demand.

In terms of connecting MNC’s and BOP Institutions, It’s definitely something that should be done at a larger scale, but there are many limitations to that partnership. Change happens at the intersection of the private, public, and social sector. I think a more powerful and compelling solution is not only connecting these MNC“s with the BOP institutions but working with local government to workout solutions, but it becomes difficult to work at this space because of corruption, skill deficiencies, and less access to information. I don’t have all the answers, but I think finding ways to overcome those barriers via collaboration across sectors and disciplines is immensely important, and connecting MNC“s with BOP institutitions is a great start and can go a long way in building capacity at the local level.

Anyway to get back to what I was trying to say, I think of scalability as points of reference; in other words, if we don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but build upon what’s already been done and *alter* or innovate in areas that need to be, I think that could be an alternative too. In every local community and local market there are unique problems that need to be addressed, and I agree with you that it’s important we don’t overlook those and try and impose a solution that supposedly already works in another place. Like you said, we should involve the “local actors” in the solution.

I’ve read a bit about this in the past, but what seems to be a plausible (and effective — at least in the case studies I’ve read) solution is forming partnerships between local BOP organizations/businesses and multinational corporations. The MNCs have the capital and resources; the local BOP organizations/business have the knowledge of their problems and needs. What do you think?

Glad you stopped by! Hopefully it’ll be useful in building your company.