DON'T JUST LEAVE COMPUTERS

Many years ago, while still working in the IT space, my team and I visited a district health office to pay a courtesy call to the then district health director (DHD). After introducing ourselves and stating the purpose of our visit, the DHD, a man of towering yet very welcoming stature, made a statement that took me aback. "You are here to bring more computers," he said. Initially, this statement seemed to reflect a lack of appreciation for the heavy investment in IT equipment that we and several others before us had made to the facility we were visiting. However, through further engagement, I understood his lack of excitement. Throughout his tenure, numerous projects had come and gone, but only one thing remained constant: all they left behind was equipment. These projects often brought in their own staff to offer “support,” and when the projects ended, these staff members were also uprooted.

Sadly, many projects rarely consider and plan for sustainability. This is often evident in the types of decisions made within the project spaces. For instance, investing heavily in software that requires expensive license renewal every year is one thing, but will the beneficiaries of your project be able to pay these licensing costs as easily as you do? If your organization were to leave today, has enough capacity been built in your beneficiaries to carry on your legacy? If projects were honest with themselves, in most cases, the answer would be NO.

Sustainability should be at the core of every project. However, the common thread in many projects I have encountered is the lack of foresight and planning for what happens after they close shop. The need to prioritize sustainability from the outset by considering the long-term viability of initiatives cannot be overstated. Without such planning, the benefits of any project, no matter how well-intended, are often short-lived, and the intended positive impacts fail to be sustained.

True sustainability means planning for the long-term success of the initiatives we introduce. This includes creating a roadmap for continuous improvement and providing ongoing support even after the official end of the project. Building strong local partnerships and empowering communities to take the lead in their development ensures that the benefits of our work live long after we leave.

It’s not enough to deliver equipment and resources during our tenure; we must ensure that the people and systems we support can maintain and build upon what we leave behind. This involves training local staff, investing in scalable and affordable technologies, and fostering a sense of ownership among the beneficiaries. By focusing on sustainability, we can create lasting impacts that extend far beyond the duration of our projects.

In the end, any project’s goal must be to leave more than just physical assets; we have to leave a lasting legacy of knowledge, empowerment, and self-sufficiency. As project implementers and employees, we must ask ourselves: are we equipping our beneficiaries with the tools and skills they need to thrive independently, or are we trapping them to ensure we stay employed? Are we embedding sustainability into every aspect of our projects? It is only by prioritizing these questions that we can make a difference that truly lasts.

So, as you carry on with your project activities today, it is my hope that you aim to not just leave computers but rather, strive to leave behind a legacy, not only as a project but as an individual too.