Many people I know abhor stepping into a Nepalese government facility. They groan about the tardiness, the unnecessary red tape, the seeming desire to unhelp. They are not entirely misplaced in their bias. Government clinics can look quite bland and long wait times feel downright regressive. But some balance of perspective is needed here.

What most developed countries have in common — and what I would argue lies at the base of their growth and prosperity — is a good system.

Non-governmental organizations often produce change in small, hand-to-mouth quantities. The change itself could be well thought-out and nimbly executed. But its failure to be effective in a bigger, more permanent system will render it niche and temporary.

By contrast, systems produce change in bulk. The vast network of infrastructure and organization is unsurpassed in scale and sustainability — even if some of their practices appear retrograde. When I step into a government facility, I cannot help but see the potential of this great big machine.

For Possible, working with the government has made all the difference. One of my colleagues, who works in Nepal’s Achham district, makes regular visits to the District Health Office. Recently we went there to discuss the design of our new group pediatrics program. The program would bring basic health services to groups of new mothers and their infant children in villages, instead of them each having to make a long and discouraging journey to a hospital.

The government body suggested we use their health outreach service system, instead of building our own. This meant that our program was now directly using public infrastructure — which for us meant a better shot at transparency and goodwill.

It is a method through which we have found success in for our hospital. Under our public-private partnership, we utilize government buildings and infrastructure and are continually in the process of increasing public investment into our model. People feel ownership and the political process recognizes it.