BetaGov Blog


Innovation Can Be a Lonely Enterprise

Posted on March 6, 2019     By Angela Hawken


Man standing on rock looking at sunset over the ocean

As pracademics you all know how rewarding this enterprise of innovation and building an evidence base in your organization can be. But you also know firsthand the hard work involved in running field experiments. You might find that not all of your colleagues share your enthusiasm for learning, or your joy for data and trying something new. As an innovation and evidence-base trailblazer, sometimes it might feel pretty lonely out there. It is important to remember the difference pracademics like you and others make. We encourage you to find your kindred pracademic spirits! Innovation and initiative enjoy company, and thrive in a community of ideas. Bouncing ideas and methods off each other can breed innovations and improve rigor. As we disseminate the lessons from your work and the work of others, we encourage you to reach out to each other. A quick email or note goes a long way to letting other pracademics know that you admire the work they are doing. It also gives us a chance to connect to share experiences and to talk about challenges and victories. Over the past few weeks I have been working with my colleagues at BetaGov on preparations for a multi-country experiment. This experience has reminded me again of the power of pracademic collaborations and of the amazing talent in this growing network.