Lost learnings: Breaking the silence of failure in the energy and development sector

Abstract

It is often said that in order to succeed, one most fail and yet, all too often, we fail to talk about failure. This is particularly true in energy and development (E&D), a sector that faces complex challenges leading to relatively high chances of project failure. This paper explores failure in E&D, specifically how it is discussed, its impact and mechanisms encourage discussion of failure. This was achieved through a review of academic literature, workshops and informal interviews, and is the first study to holistically examine the important topic of failure in E&D. The results show that failure is complex and linked to multiple factors. There is an important distinction to be made between “productive failures”, where new learnings are assimilated and shared, and “unproductive failures”, where this does not happen. Although failed projects consume scarce resources, reduce the productivity of the sector and increase the perceived risk of future projects, we argue that failure is a necessary part of experimentation and risk taking that generates new knowledge and important learnings. Changes to the nature of funding in the sector, compulsory project or research registration, open-source reporting on productive failure and networks that provide safe spaces for peer-to-peer learning could improve openness about failure. These mechanisms could increase the likelihood of future project success and accelerate progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 7.