• Higher motivation levels
  
  
• Incentives to measure how you are doing and the ability to correct course early on
  
  
• Evidence of short-term success creates the impetus to deal with increasingly larger challenges, leading to the achievement of long-term goals
  
  Focus on results-oriented goals versus activities
  
  

• Look beyond low hanging fruits
  “Low hanging fruits” are those goals that can be achieved with the least amount of effort. If they can also be achieved within short time-frames, they are the most obvious targets for a rapid results approach. Reaching for a low hanging fruit may help boost morale and have a demonstration effect but it may not have much to do with laying the essential stepping-stones or building blocks that lead to longer-term development impacts.
  
  
• Do not fear results-oriented targets
  Project managers may resist results-oriented targets for fear of the consequences of not being able to meet these targets. In other words, it is much easier to commit to the implementation of activities than to commit to achieving specific results expected out of these activities.
  
  
• Articulate anticipated results
  Testing new technologies without a clear understanding of potential results and benefits is also problematic. Specifying anticipated results in quantitative and qualitative terms is essential. The fact that these are technology pilots only makes it more essential to establish benchmarks. It is not possible to evaluate properly these technology pilots if they fail to articulate their objectives in terms of specific results.
  
  
• Share bragging rights
  In order to build local ownership and commitment, it is essential to give credit where credit is due and allow local communities and implementing partners to tell “their” success story. This, however, is difficult to implement in a climate where donor branding takes precedence over local ownership issues.
  
  Role of monitoring
  If it is essential for projects to articulate objectives in terms of specific results, it is also essential under a rapid results approach to develop and deploy simple yet effective monitoring systems. Early successes and failures need to be publicized to ensure replication and corrective measures.
  
  One step at a time within the project work plan
  Relatively small steps are easier to take yet essential to move towards larger changes. In a project management context, a project is broken down into tasks and sub-tasks within the Work Breakdown Structure. Once the work plan is developed, proper implementation of that work plan is expected to lead to project success. The tasks and sub-tasks, however, are not necessarily associated with specific results. The project manager could organized the tasks and sub-tasks around results-oriented work packages.
  
  Suggested Reading
  
  
• Shaffer, R.H. & Ashkenas, R.N. (2005). Rapid Results!: How 100-day Projects Build the Capacity for Large-Scale Change. San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons.
  
  
  
  

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