LocationsFrom Novel to Norm: Experimentation at the Tipping Point
August 27, 2025
A follow-up: from early experiments to an emerging norm
In 2020, we embarked on an ambitious journey: introducing experimentation in 91 UNDP country offices as a tool for accelerating sustainable development. The premise was simple yet bold—by testing ideas in real-world contexts, learning from failures and successes, and then rapidly adapting, the UNDP Accelerator Labs Network could generate evidence-based solutions to complex development challenges.
Five years later, experimentation is no longer a novel approach within UNDP, it is becoming a recognized and embedded practice. The numbers speak for themselves:
In our previous blog, “The Promise of Experimentation for Development,” we reflected onwhat we learned when integrating experimentation into development. Now, we examine how experimentation is transitioning from one-off projects to a norm within UNDP, how it can become fully integrated into the core of UNDP's operations and functions, and how to contribute our learnings to the broader development ecosystem.
The shift from periphery to core
For experimentation to become institutionalized, it must move from the periphery of innovation teams into the core of programs, policies and decision-making frameworks. This shift can be understood through the lens of norm dynamics, a concept from international relations that explains how new practices become standard over time. In norm dynamics, we track the emergence of norms (usually introduced by norm entrepreneurs who advocate for its adoption), to the norm cascade (more teams adopting experimental methods, creating momentum) and finally, internalization – when experimentation becomes widely accepted and expected.
One pattern is increasingly clear within the Accelerator Labs Network: experimentation is transitioning from a new, emergent practice to an embedded norm within UNDP. It is referenced in strategic documents, reflected in new partnerships and supported by senior leadership. This shift has been actively shaped by the Labs as agents of change (norm entrepreneurs) who have intentionally created the conditions for experimentation to take root. Experimentation within UNDP has passed through its initial stages of emergence, and as more actors within the organization and its ecosystems engage with experimentation as a credible method for addressing complex development challenges, one can argue that we are well into the cascading stage.
However, to reach full internalization, experimentation must become an expected and resourced function rather than an optional approach. This means securing institutional support, dedicated funding and leadership buy-in to make experimentation a standard part of problem-solving at UNDP. The next milestone- internalization - is within reach, but it will require sustained effort to fully anchor experimentation as an organizational reflex.
Experimentation in practice: the line between feasibility and rigor
One of the Labs’ key learnings is managing the tension between rigor and feasibility -- balancing evidence standards with development realities. Navigating between learning and action, research and implementation, has been crucial to making experimentation both meaningful and actionable. We use the term Feasible Rigor to describe the art of generating robust evidence within the constraints of real-world development actions. Across the network, teams found that every effective experiment—regardless of theme or geography—shared four essential components:
Essential components of experimentation
Depending on the level of control, these can range from highly rigorous trials (e.g., randomized food voucher pilots in Paraguay) to more adaptive experiments (e.g., community recycling programs). What matters is not perfection, but transparency and learning.
In our experience, experimentation involves taking on multiple strategic functions. It is helping to revitalize a forward-looking organizational culture by embedding capabilities such as foresight—illustrated by North Macedonia’s "Dream Labs," where participatory foresight became an official platform for shaping the National Development Strategy. It also plays a key role in de-risking emerging tools and technologies, as seen in Panama, where AI was used to visualize future climate scenarios, helping inform municipal resilience planning. At the same time, experimentation is generating critical insights into complex development challenges—for example, in Paraguay, where different interventions were tested to understand their effect on public perceptions of social protection systems. These diverse applications underscore how experimentation supports more adaptive and evidence-informed development. For a growing collection of experiments and use cases from across the network, visit the SDG Innovation Commons.
In Kenya, “water scouts” and community members mapped over 1,200 water sources and 684 social amenities.
Experimenting with innovative tools for development
Experimenting with the goal of embedding innovative tools for development is a pattern not just within the Labs and UNDP but also across broader country ecosystems. Crowd-mapping is one such tool initially used for data collection but increasingly recognized for its ability to enhance participation and awareness.
In Kenya, herder communities became “water scouts” and mapped over 1,200 water sources and 684 social amenities. In the Maldives, residents mapped island infrastructure to help manage disaster risk. Meanwhile in Guatemala, more than 400 volunteers mapped rural roads using satellite imagery, and a digital tool was developed to assess infrastructure risks from natural disasters using geographic coordinates. In North Macedonia, an open call for crowd-mapping led to the public mapping of water infrastructure in the capital, inspiring civil society organizations like the Scouts Association to replicate the experiment in another city. In Serbia, UNDP used alternative data—satellite imagery, telecom records, and citizen input—to analyze migration patterns, with findings that informed national policy.
Experimentation leads to emerging themes in the sustainable development landscape
Reflecting on our Network journey and codifying our work, we learned that Labs were not just running individual experiments, they were building interconnected portfolios of work, stitching together themes such as circular economy, climate resilience and inclusive governance. What began as exploratory, one-off experiments have evolved into intentional systemic portfolios, reinforcing the value of experimentation as a method for tackling complex development challenges. By visualizing these connections, the Labs unlocked new opportunities for strategic alignment and influence within UNDP, but equally important, for the ecosystems where we work. Inspired by the idea to create a global innovation commons for sustainable development, we have published all our experiments on this website, with the goal to inspire action, and potentially inspire other organizations and institutions to pursue similar functions: https://sdg-innovation-commons.org/.
An example of an Accelerator Lab’s emerging portfolio of experiments.
What’s Next? Experimentation as a core element
The journey from early adoption to full internalization is ongoing. But one thing is clear: with continued commitment, experimentation is no longer just an option for development—it is becoming an expectation.
Since 2020, the Labs have developed as a distributed R&D function for UNDP, producing timely, relevant, and localized insights for development programming across 115+ countries. The aim was to try out new ways of working and convert our learnings into new, practical action.
The challenge for UNDP and other organizations going forward is clear: How can we ensure that experimentation moves beyond an emerging norm to become an institutionalized standard? To achieve this, we must ensure that experimentation is resourced and expected, not optional; embedded in country strategies and program cycles; and used to inform strategic shifts.
As the development landscape grows more complex and uncertain, experimentation offers a path to clarity - not by providing perfect answers, but by asking the right questions, and testing what works - faster.
If you are also working on experimentation in the development sector, we invite you to share your experiences, reach out to our network of Experimenters and check out our body of work in the SDG Commons.