How to Talk about Failure
Scaling humanitarian innovation requires addressing systemic barriers, fostering collaboration, and creating spaces for honest reflection. Building on insights from the Failure to Scale paper—an exploration of why promising innovations often fail to achieve widespread impact—this deck of cards was designed to prompt and facilitate meaningful conversations around failure. Inspired by the conversations and convenings led by Elrha and the Response Innovation Lab (RIL), these cards aim to facilitate funders, implementers, and innovators to engage in open dialogue, uncover challenges, and co-create actionable solutions tailored to local contexts.
Explore the Failure to Scale paper here and use the deck to start reshaping the way we think about innovation, scale, and impact in the humanitarian sector. Together, we can reimagine a system that embraces learning, inclusivity, and transformative change.
The co-creation process was facilitated by Impact447 Pvt. Ltd, a Design Thinking consulting company based in Nepal.
Game Instructions
OBJECTIVE
Facilitate meaningful conversations about humanitarian innovation and systemic issues through reflection, debate, and brainstorming.
SETUP
Pick a card and share it with the group. Players take turns drawing cards and responding to the prompts. Discussions can be timed or open-ended based on group preferences.
Reflection Cards
Promote self-awareness and critical thinking.Scenario Cards
Present hypothetical or real-world situations to discuss.Action Cards
Challenge players to brainstorm or role-play solutions.
Reflection
What does inclusivity in innovation mean to you, and how can it be achieved?
Reflection
What are the personal and organizational costs of rigid systems in innovation?
Reflection
What is the most significant barrier to innovation in humanitarian contexts, and why?
Action
Draft a one-minute pitch for an emerging technology that addresses ethical concerns.
Scenario
Local innovators struggle to meet rigid due diligence processes. Suggest ways to streamline these.
Action
Identify two tools to measure the impact and reach of a local innovation.
Scenario
Your team needs to embed an innovation specialist in a traditional program team. Outline the onboarding process.
Action
Design an inclusive governance model for a hypothetical humanitarian project.
Scenario
An emerging technology used in a humanitarian crisis leads to unintended privacy violations. How would you address this ethically?
Action
Role-play a discussion between a funder and an innovator to address systemic biases.
Reflection
How can collaboration between local and international stakeholders be made more equitable?
Scenario
A siloed approach among stakeholders is limiting project scalability. Develop an interdisciplinary strategy.
Scenario
A pilot project shows mixed results. What criteria would you use to determine whether to scale it?
Scenario
A donor is pushing for rapid results, but the local team needs more time to pilot-test innovations. Navigate the conflict.
Reflection
How can we ensure marginalized voices are included in humanitarian decision-making?
Scenario
You are an innovator seeking funding for a high-risk project. Draft a pitch to overcome funder hesitations.
Reflection
What are the ethical implications of implementing new technologies in crisis areas?
Scenario
An innovation has led to increased operational costs for an NGO. What solutions can help mitigate these costs?
Scenario
In 30 years, all the right decisions have been made to address today’s challenges. What does this mean for different actors?
Reflection
Reflect on a power dynamic you’ve experienced that hindered collaboration.
Reflection
What role does evidence play in securing funding for innovative solutions?
Reflection
Reflect on a time you faced systemic resistance to an innovative idea. What did you learn?
Scenario
A funder proposes a new technology for cash distribution, but local leaders are skeptical of its efficiency. Discuss the steps you would take.
Scenario
A project is struggling due to limited representation of marginalized groups in decision-making. Propose a solution.
Scenario
An international intermediary is dominating discussions in a collaboration meeting, sidelining local voices. What would you do?
Scenario
Community members are reluctant to participate in co-creation sessions. How would you build trust?
Reflection
How would you balance risk-taking with accountability in a high-stakes environment?
Scenario
A promising innovation is not scalable due to a lack of evidence. Propose a plan to build trust and secure scale-up funding.
Action
Brainstorm a collaborative funding model that involves private sector partners.
Reflection
Describe an ideal funding model for humanitarian innovation.
Scenario
A local NGO has developed a promising water purification system, but donor requirements are delaying its deployment. How would you address this?
Scenario
A new governance model is proposed to increase inclusivity, but it requires significant systemic change. How would you implement it?
Reflection
What systemic changes are needed to support high-risk, high-reward innovations?
Reflection
Why do you think funders are hesitant to invest in high-risk projects?
Action
List three ways to align donor priorities with community needs.
Reflection
What steps can funders take to better align with community needs?
Reflection
How do cultural and systemic biases influence decision-making in humanitarian efforts?
Reflection
What does scaling humanitarian innovation mean to you and how might that be different for donors, innovators, implementers etc?
Scenario
Funding for a project runs out midway, despite its potential. Brainstorm sustainable funding mechanisms.
Reflection
If you were a local innovator, what support would you prioritize to scale your idea?
Action
List three actions to dismantle hierarchical structures in humanitarian partnerships.
Reflection
What does inclusivity in innovation mean to you, and how can it be achieved?
Reflection
What steps can funders take to better align with community needs?
Reflection
What role does evidence play in securing funding for innovative solutions?
Reflection
What are the ethical implications of implementing new technologies in crisis areas?
Reflection
How do cultural and systemic biases influence decision-making in humanitarian efforts?
Reflection
How can we ensure marginalized voices are included in humanitarian decision-making?
Reflection
How can collaboration between local and international stakeholders be made more equitable?
Reflection
What is the most significant barrier to innovation in humanitarian contexts, and why?
Reflection
If you were a local innovator, what support would you prioritize to scale your idea?
Reflection
What does scaling humanitarian innovation mean to you and how might that be different for donors, innovators, implementers etc?
Reflection
Why do you think funders are hesitant to invest in high-risk projects?
Reflection
Reflect on a time you faced systemic resistance to an innovative idea. What did you learn?
Reflection
How would you balance risk-taking with accountability in a high-stakes environment?
Reflection
Reflect on a power dynamic you’ve experienced that hindered collaboration.
Reflection
What systemic changes are needed to support high-risk, high-reward innovations?
Reflection
What are the personal and organizational costs of rigid systems in innovation?
Reflection
Describe an ideal funding model for humanitarian innovation.
Scenario
A siloed approach among stakeholders is limiting project scalability. Develop an interdisciplinary strategy.
Scenario
A pilot project shows mixed results. What criteria would you use to determine whether to scale it?
Scenario
A project is struggling due to limited representation of marginalized groups in decision-making. Propose a solution.
Scenario
An international intermediary is dominating discussions in a collaboration meeting, sidelining local voices. What would you do?
Scenario
You are an innovator seeking funding for a high-risk project. Draft a pitch to overcome funder hesitations.
Scenario
In 30 years, all the right decisions have been made to address today’s challenges. What does this mean for different actors?
Scenario
A promising innovation is not scalable due to a lack of evidence. Propose a plan to build trust and secure scale-up funding.
Scenario
Local innovators struggle to meet rigid due diligence processes. Suggest ways to streamline these.
Scenario
Community members are reluctant to participate in co-creation sessions. How would you build trust?
Scenario
An innovation has led to increased operational costs for an NGO. What solutions can help mitigate these costs?
Scenario
A donor is pushing for rapid results, but the local team needs more time to pilot-test innovations. Navigate the conflict.
Scenario
An emerging technology used in a humanitarian crisis leads to unintended privacy violations. How would you address this ethically?
Scenario
A local NGO has developed a promising water purification system, but donor requirements are delaying its deployment. How would you address this?
Scenario
Your team needs to embed an innovation specialist in a traditional program team. Outline the onboarding process.
Scenario
Funding for a project runs out midway, despite its potential. Brainstorm sustainable funding mechanisms.
Scenario
A new governance model is proposed to increase inclusivity, but it requires significant systemic change. How would you implement it?
Scenario
A funder proposes a new technology for cash distribution, but local leaders are skeptical of its efficiency. Discuss the steps you would take.
Action
List three actions to dismantle hierarchical structures in humanitarian partnerships.
Action
Draft a one-minute pitch for an emerging technology that addresses ethical concerns.
Action
Identify two tools to measure the impact and reach of a local innovation.
Action
Design an inclusive governance model for a hypothetical humanitarian project.
Action
Role-play a discussion between a funder and an innovator to address systemic biases.
Action
Brainstorm a collaborative funding model that involves private sector partners.
Action
List three ways to align donor priorities with community needs.
