Written by Prof. Mannixs E. Paul, PhD, FCFIP, FCIML, FCECFI, FFAR
A pro-public agenda always sounds progressive. It promises fairness, opportunity, and a better deal for society. Yet, when such agendas are introduced without creating the right environment for them to succeed, they often do more harm than good. Instead of solving problems, they deepen them—like taking medicine that worsens the illness it was meant to cure.
The reality is that many of our setbacks are not from a shortage of ideas, but from how those ideas are rushed into law. Policies are often announced with grand declarations, yet they fail to survive their first test in the real world. Some collapse before they even begin—dead on arrival—leaving behind wasted time, resources, and frustrated citizens. Worse still, some are designed to serve the narrow interests of a privileged few rather than the collective good. Such practices erode public trust, weaken institutions, and widen the gap between leaders and the people they are meant to serve.
What is urgently needed is a shift in approach. Instead of rushing to impose sweeping policies, policymakers should adopt a more pragmatic, pilot-first strategy. Running pilot programs is not a sign of weakness or hesitation—it is wisdom in action. Pilots allow ideas to be tested in smaller communities, where their strengths and weaknesses can be observed in real conditions. They give room for adjustment, improvement, or even total reconsideration before the policy is scaled nationally.
This method offers two clear advantages. First, it saves resources by avoiding large-scale failures. Second, it restores credibility to governance, because citizens can see that their leaders are willing to test, listen, and adapt rather than gamble with their future. When a pilot succeeds, scaling it becomes a confident and evidence-backed decision. The loss is contained when it fails, and the lessons learned pave the way for better alternatives.
Every prosperous nation has followed this principle. Sustainable progress is not built on trial-and-error at the expense of millions of people, but on measured, deliberate, and tested decisions. Leadership is not about the number of policies announced in a year, but about how many stand the test of time and make life genuinely better for the people.
Empty promises cannot feed families, and failed projects cannot inspire hope. What endures is balance, inclusiveness, and sincerity of purpose. Authentic leadership lies not in chasing applause today but in building systems that will protect, uplift, and empower people tomorrow.
If policymakers embrace patience, foresight, and accountability—through pilot programs, evidence-based scaling, and transparent evaluation—policies will stop dead on arrival. Instead, they will become instruments of transformation, shaping a society where progress is not only promised but truly delivered.
Courtesy of MEFoundation