Summary:

Do you agree that sometimes we make things more complicated than they need to be?  I sometimes think we complicate economic development activities right past the level that would lead to successful implementation.  This complication comes from the multitude of donor requirements that must be satisfied, the political-bureaucratic realities of the places where projects will be implemented, the academic purity to which all of us may aspire at times and sometimes from our own lack of sufficient knowledge of a situation to allow simplicity to rule.

U.S. Senator, Vice President and orator Hubert Humphrey used to apologize for his long speeches saying that he had not had time to make them shorter. “Shorter” implies that presentations must be tighter and more thoughtfully constructed to ensure that the necessary ideas are conveyed effectively.  Similarly, “simple” project does not mean “slap-dash” or “simplistic”.  Simplicity requires a careful crafting of the activity to economically engage the necessary resources (human, financial and logistic) to meet a given challenge.

This post deals with simplicity in project design and implementation and offers a few examples from my own experience.  I am sure that most readers will have their own examples of how simplicity has added to the effectiveness of their own efforts or how unnecessary complexity has constrained the implementation of others.  There is a comment box at the end of this post where I hope you will add your own thoughts on the subject.  I would especially like to see your ideas regarding how a practical level of simplicity might be achieved in project design.

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