Nonprofits Build Planes While Flying Them, Or So I Hear

If I had a nickel for every time I heard a nonprofit professional say they were building the plane while flying it, I could buy my own fully-built jet! In the context of program design, what does this even mean? Is “building the plane while flying it” just code for “making it up as we go along”? What’s the difference? Let’s consider . . .

Origin

The origin of this idiom can be traced back to software developers. An agile approach to development prioritizes pragmatism, flexibility, and iteration over perfection and finality. Rather than building and perfecting a product in advance of a single, much-anticipated launch event, agile methodology advocates launching elements of a product, collecting real-time feedback, and adjusting and (re)designing in structured, frequent cycles of learning and improvement.

The definition of “agile” is the ability to move quickly and easily. A second definition is the ability to think and understand quickly. Let’s not move quickly without first thinking and understanding. There is some risk in over-reacting, over-correcting, and constantly “tweaking” in a knee-jerk or haphazard fashion.

Agile Program Design

The IllumiLab is all for innovation, experimentation, reflection, learning, and continuous improvement. But we know that having, articulating, and aligning toward clear and firm intentions is critical to the success of any effort, particularly program design. So, when we see organizations seemingly making it up as they go along, we get worried.

Ok, brace yourselves. I’m about to work this metaphor to death. Building a plane while flying it.

Where are you flying?

If you’re willing to fly a half-built plane, you must be pretty eager to get to your destination. Please tell me you have a destination in mind! In program design, this is your desired result.

If you are so focused on your “what” (activities, interventions) that you don’t articulate your “why” or “to what end” (goals, results), you’re in trouble. Without this, you’re just flying a half-built plane around in the air, looking for a place to land and hoping you don’t run out of fuel first. Be sure everyone on your crew knows where you’re trying to go and why.

Once you’ve identified your destination, you need a navigation system to keep you on course. This is your performance management system – your outputs, outcomes, and quality indicators – which monitor your progress and trajectory in real-time and give you feedback to inform course corrections. Some people think you can’t evaluate something that’s under development but that’s exactly what and when you should evaluate!

What’s our MVP?

How do you get a half-built plane to fly? A “minimum viable product” is an earlier, simpler version of a product that’s launched with the least amount of effort and investment in order to gather early feedback to inform future development. The idea of starting with an MVP is to test your idea and use feedback to inform further iterations and improvements.

What are the minimum requirements for a plane to fly? I’m no engineer, but I’d think that basic systems for propulsion would be essential. What should be driving and propelling human and social services? Your program theory is a solid rationale for believing that doing X will lead to Y. Without this, your plane will never get off the ground.

As Sheri Chaney Jones says in her book Impact & Excellence, “The quickest path to high-performance programs comes when an organization takes a theory-based approach to program development” (p. 137). The alternative is trial and error based on assumptions, conventional wisdom, and donor and staff preferences. Which do you think is more likely to successfully and reliably propel your program toward its destination?

Also, if you intend to transport passengers in this half-built plane, your MVP also needs some basic systems for passenger safety. Your no frills, work-in-progress program needs to at least ensure that participants’ rights are protected and that you adhere to ethical guidelines.

What are you building?

Let’s say you have an MVP – an initial version of your program that is driven by a clarity of purpose and sound theory and that has essential safeguards in place for clients. What’s left to build mid-flight? Think of the “building” you do while flying as enhancing, adjusting, and re-arranging, in response to specific, actionable feedback and input from stakeholders.

Do you have mechanisms in place for gathering, reflecting upon, and operationalizing that feedback in quick and frequent cycles?  This is where solid tools and processes for continuous quality improvement come into play. If you don’t have this, you aren’t iterating or improving. You aren’t designing. You’re tinkering. With someone else’s money and with someone’s life and well-being.

Bottom line

There is absolutely room to pilot, experiment, and iterate in human and social services. But there are some steps you cannot skip, some components you must intentionally design, and some assembly required before you can safely convey passengers from point A to point B no matter how built your plane is.

1. Clearly articulate your intentions.
2. Have a plan for monitoring progress.
3. Ensure participant safety by protecting rights and adhering to ethics.
4. Gather actionable feedback and have a plan for using it.

In the meantime, feel free to re-arrange the chairs, change the upholstery, and install the wi-fi later. You can upgrade amenities and add bells and whistles. But start with the fundamentals.