Aspiration

Many of us are inspired to seek solutions to the most pressing problems around us. The climate crisis, threats to democracy, poverty, affordable healthcare, quality education, reliable public transportation, and decent housing are all critical to our future. Many of us would agree that coordinated action by leaders from both the public and private sectors is essential to real progress. But how do we achieve this? Why is it so difficult to make progress together across sectors? The answer lies in too little work at the forefront of shared project development on the shared aspiration that defines the coordinated effort. Part of the challenge is structural. As Sandro Cabral emphasizes in our conversation, public-sector organizations are designed for stability and accountability, whereas private-sector organizations are designed for flexibility, experimentation, and "failing fast." Kate Cummings, in our conversation, describes the awesome responsibilities of public-sector agents who are constantly mindful that mistakes may hurt the lives of thousands and even millions of citizens.

The structural problems are compounded by different time horizons for action, varying career paths, cynicism, and variations in scope of authorized action. It’s difficult to build trust, and yet, as Samina Karim and Sandro Cabral both describe, it is trust itself that is at the heart of the development of a shared, compelling aspiration that can sustain engagement in a problem on both sides over the time required to achieve impact. The Pi² project confronts these challenges and offers frameworks and tools for overcoming them.