Build for Sustainability
Building sustainable programs, platforms and digital tools is essential to maintain user and stakeholder support, as well as to maximize long-term impact. Sustainability ensures that user and stakeholder contributions are not minimized due to interruptions, such as a loss of funding. A program built for sustainability is more likely to be embedded into policies, daily practices and user workflow. For many digital initiatives, institutionalization by a nongovernmental organization, private company or local government is the ultimate goal in achieving long-term, positive impact. For others, institutionalization is achieved by developing a business model that has sustainable revenue generation.
Core Tenets
- Plan for sustainability from the start.
- Develop a definition of sustainability for your initiative.
- Identify and implement a sustainable business model.
- Use and invest in local information technology service providers.
- Engage local governments and integrate national strategies into programming.
- Collaborate instead of competing, and partner to identify the best approach with the greatest impact.
- Build a program that can be adapted as user needs and the context change.
Featured Resources
Check out more examples on how to build for sustainability or download our full guidance
Tool
Business Model Sustainability Toolkit
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How to Select Digital Tools to Support Training and Capacity Building
Using digital platforms, such as online learning and mobile learning technologies, can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of capacity building and training activities. Description Capacity building is traditionally attempted through…
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Guide
How to Calculate Total Lifetime Costs of Enterprise Software Solutions
To ensure the success and sustainability of your initiative or program, weigh all potential considerations in selecting software, calculating and planning for technology costs beyond the initial deployment. Description Digital…
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