CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES

The report examines the GRP's approach to fostering an environment where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a cause for penalty. Through case studies of seven projects, it highlights the importance of trust, flexible targets, and adaptive management in refining resilience solutions. Key recommendations include designing projects for 'probe-sense-respond' cycles and establishing clear failure thresholds to avoid wasting investment on ineffective pilots.

• The GRP views failure not as a negative outcome but as an opportunity to improve projects and share knowledge to prevent others from repeating mistakes. This culture is supported by a 'safe space' for grantees to test and adapt innovations.
• Challenge Funds and Innovation Prizes are identified as effective modalities for learning from failure because they distribute risk across a portfolio of smaller investments, increasing the appetite for risk among donors compared to 'backing a winner'.
• Effective learning from failure requires a balance between flexibility to allow for adaptation and rigidity to maintain accountability, particularly when using public funds. This is often managed by agreeing on a 'tolerable degree of failure' in advance.
• Case studies demonstrate that adaptive management allows projects to pivot when initial pilots fail. For example, Mercy Corps' TRADER project paused its MKK pilot after less than half of the trader groups made a profit, subsequently redesigning the product based on evidence and consultation.
• The IFPRI SATISFy project illustrated the need for flexible insurance triggers; initial Risk-Contingent Credit (RCC) failed to trigger payouts during a harvest failure because total rainfall remained above the threshold despite poor distribution. The product was redesigned using remote-sensing satellite technology to trigger payouts if rainfall drops below a threshold in any 21-day period.
• The report identifies a 'file drawer problem' in international development literature, where failures are seldom published, leading to an overrepresentation of successful projects and a lack of structured knowledge on how to avoid common mistakes.
• A critical constraint in resilience-building is the 'do no harm' principle, as testing fallible innovations in food-insecure or vulnerable communities carries higher risks than business failures in developed contexts.

APA

Wilson, D., Robens, S., Verkaart, S., & Hornberg, J. (2020). CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES. Global Resilience Partnership. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/case-study_learning-from-failure-at-the-global-resilience-partnership.pdf

Chicago

Wilson, Dave, Sarah Robens, Simone Verkaart, and Jesper Hornberg. CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES. Global Resilience Partnership, 2020. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/case-study_learning-from-failure-at-the-global-resilience-partnership.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wilson |first1=Dave |last2=Robens |first2=Sarah |last3=Verkaart |first3=Simone |last4=Hornberg |first4=Jesper |title=CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES |publisher=Global Resilience Partnership |date=March 2020 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/case-study_learning-from-failure-at-the-global-resilience-partnership.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wilson2020case, author = {Wilson, Dave and Robens, Sarah and Verkaart, Simone and Hornberg, Jesper}, title = {{CASE STUDY: LEARNING FROM FAILURE TO ACCELERATE SUCCESS IN RESILIENCE-BUILDING INITIATIVES}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/case-study_learning-from-failure-at-the-global-resilience-partnership.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }