Keeping progress once you have it

I’ve been mulling this one over for a few days. At WorldChanging, Jeremy Faludi posted a set of six ideas on preserving change once you have it. In sum:

• Stricter rules and oversight
• Good public relations
• Networking progress, spreading the benefits through agents at the edges rather than central hubs
• Decentralizing administration and authority
• Self-sustaining financing (make it pay for itself)

This might be a good list to add to. Here are some things I can think of:

• Build learning and deliberation around the progress. Make the gain part of the public conversation around policy by hosting gatherings where citizens can learn more, contribute their thinking and experience the gain for themselves.
• Gather diversity to the cause. Progress will not succeed if it is not supported by a wide variety of people and organizations.
• Discern and work with urgency. Unless there is a compelling need for something, it will take hold in a slower fashion. Understanding why things are urgently needed helps invite commitment.
• Give away the answers. Anything developed to address the issue and support the progress should be freely given away to anyone who wants it, and anyone who can use it. This includes tools, products, marketing and ideas.

This is relevant to gains made in the field of sustainability, but I’m also thinking about issues like Aboriginal youth suicide, First Nations governance, the development of networked, community based service delivery models and other issues I am currently working with – anywhere we are making progress that needs support and long term viability. Relying on government, or a few big government like agencies or companies, is not sustainable.

Any other strategies out there?