There’s no silver bullet for economic transformation – it’s the process that counts
Why growth matters
Economic growth is the most powerful engine for increased productivity and human welfare.
In recent decades, economic growth accelerations in various countries have yielded gains in welfare and living standards 1,000-4,000 times as large as the most effective anti-poverty programs.
The process of growth creates higher-productivity, higher-wage formal sector jobs, which provide individuals and families with reliable income and a pathway to greater prosperity.
Where governments get stuck
Evidence shows that the same policies have vastly different impacts across countries (e.g., Special Economic Zones), and that many policies in developing countries are not implemented as intended, or at all.
This suggests that there is no single, foolproof recipe for economic transformation; instead, the process of tailoring and implementing policy is central to whether growth materializes.
Hence, the ability of governments to implement (i.e., translate strategy into action), to problem-solve, and to learn over time matters hugely for economic growth.
The reality, however, is that governments struggle to get stuff done. More than 90% of countries have experienced slow or negative growth in their state capability in the past 25 years.
What we do
-
Strategy for sector prioritization and investment
-
Design of processes and practices to act on priorities
-
Management and coaching for problem-solving of growth constraints
-
Economic diversification
-
Investment
-
Exports
-
Firm productivity
We believe that the way governments get better at problem solving for growth…is by doing the work it takes to solve problems for growth. Solving growth constraints is like building muscles at the gym:
Building muscles requires lifting weights
If you don’t lift weights, you won’t build muscle…and you can’t have someone else lift the weights for you
Rather than producing externally-driven reports that collect dust on shelves, Growth Teams works side-by-side with government leaders and staff to take action on growth constraints. Rather than being “hived off”, Growth Teams offers management support so that they can monitor, learn from, and iterate on their efforts–akin to a “lean start-up” approach.
