Concept 2: Pyramid of needs
We make decisions every day about our priorities and our actions. How will we spend our time? What do we sacrifice to ensure we have the “basic needs” covered: food, shelter, safety and security? People working in social change can sometimes forget that the priorities of community members where we are working might be different from our own (whether in Baltimore or Bangui).
If people are struggling to put food on the table they probably don’t think about or care if the Polio virus is eradicated from the planet. Getting tested for HIV is also likely not a priority if they are working two jobs, or spend their days walking between rows of cars in traffic selling phone credit.
The “pyramid of needs” is a resource that many people use when wanting to think about people’s needs as they design a social change intervention. The formal term is the “Hierarchy of Needs,” which is based on Abraham Maslow’s “Theory of human motivation” from 1943.
The 15-second version of the theory is that it is difficult for people to seek to fulfill “higher order needs” like accomplishment and creativity, or even love, when the basic survival needs are not met.
A pyramid of needs can be used as a tool for discussion and planning when designing a social change intervention. Thinking about “where people are” on the pyramid can help designers be more thoughtful not just about the social change intervention intervention itself but also about how to create opportunities for participation/contribution from community members.
When you plan a meeting, will you make child-care available? If you are planning a measles vaccination campaign, do you know when and where vaccinators should be available? (before farmers head to the field, while people are at the market, when commuters come home from work).
There is nothing revolutionary about a “pyramid of needs” as a resource and tool. It helps to spark discussion and can inspire thoughtful implementation choices at the design phases when planning a social change intervention.
In a recent essay by social impact designer Patrice Martin, elements like desire self-esteem were prioritized in the design process over basic needs. In international development in particular, she argued, we don’t need to bypass basic needs but we could benefit from also attending to, and designing for, higher needs like desire, status, self-esteem, pride, altruism and love (I’ve paraphrased a bit here).
Designers talk about the sweet spot between what is desirable, feasible and viable. We can ask ourselves, “desirable for whom?” Are we starting with what is desirable (and needed) from a community member perspective? Or are we starting with ourselves, as representatives of large international organizations, United Nations agencies, philanthropic foundations, or even small-scale civic organizations?
Whatever you choose to call it, a pyramid or hierarchy of needs, or no name at all, they key thing we can remember is to go beyond our own experience, to be mindful of the needs, desires and realities of others. The best way to do this is through community participation, which can include government counterpart participation, service-side actor contributions (nurses, doctors, teachers, etc.).
In the phrase “nothing about us without us” we can and should be liberal with our interpretation of the “us.” When in doubt, invite more people to contribute. It may slow down the process, but the price of not including people is an intervention that no one needs or wants.
This essay is part of “The Social Change Cookbook.” Please send suggestions to: kgreiner-at-gmail. Comments and questions also welcome. Twitter: @kpgreiner
