“How can I start DDD in [insert country here]?”

At DDD, we’re asked this question often, by people from all over the world. It’s always exciting to see that our model resonates with someone in a different place, and we love to encourage other entrepreneurs. In fact, it’s our vision that DDD’s success might help seed a global movement to bring poor and disadvantaged people around the world into the global economy through IT-related jobs.

We have started to call this impact outsourcing–outsourcing that creates a social impact by employing people who wouldn’t have this work otherwise. But we don’t always have enough information for entrepreneurs wondering how to get started. Now, with the support of a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, we’re exploring how we can help others adopt DDD’s model in the rest of the world.

This initiative is two-pronged. First, we’re taking a step back to consider what we know already about our model for operating a sustainable IT outsourcing business that transforms lives. In the nine years since we started in Phnom Penh, we’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t. Our teams in Cambodia and Laos are documenting that knowledge, defining our processes and recording lessons learned. Our aim is to build a toolkit to share with social entrepreneurs who want to bring DDD’s model to new corners of the world.

Second, we’re testing our approach by researching how an organization like DDD might be successful in Kenya. A small team of DDDers, working with a local consultant, is conducting research on existing IT services businesses, training programs, and community needs. We’ve outlined a set of hypothetical scenarios for how DDD could bring our model of impact outsourcing to Kenya.  As we learn new information, we’re narrowing these scenarios down to identify an approach that might be piloted in Nairobi.

The IT sector is developing in Kenya, and English and technology skills are relatively high across the population. An entrepreneurial spirit pervades the country, and developments like a new undersea fiber optic cable point to Kenya’s potential. But the unemployment rate is high, at 40%, and poverty in some parts of the country coupled with political uncertainty has some potential business partners concerned about instability. While we have not yet made any decisions to work in Kenya, we see that DDD’s model might have a deep impact here.

We’re excited to embark on this kind of research, and feel fortunate to have the resources to consider how to expand our impact. In fact, this April, we opened a DDD office in San Francisco with a focus on just that: understanding and deepening our global impact. The responsibilities of the San Francisco office include impact measurement, social mission innovation and strategic planning. If you’re based on the west coast, feel free to reach out to us in our new home!