Extraordinary Measures ~ On Fixing Big Problems

Bill Gates writes in WSJournal about Extraordinary Measures ~ his plan to fix the worlds biggest problems...

"In the past year, I have been struck by how important measurement is to improving the human condition. You can achieve incredible progress if you set a clear goal and find a measure that will drive progress toward that goal. [...] An innovation -- whether it's a new vaccine or an improved seed -- can't have an impact unless it reaches the people who will benefit from it. We need innovations in measurement to find new, effective ways to deliver those tools and services to the clinics, family farms and classrooms that need them. [...] The lives of the poorest have improved more rapidly in the past 15 years than ever before. And I am optimistic that we will do even better in the next 15 years. The process I have described -- setting clear goals, choosing an approach, measuring results, and then using those measurements to continually refine our approach -- helps us to deliver tools and services to everybody who will benefit."

Gates gives multiple examples from health, education, agriculture and others.