ORIGINAL CASE STUDY / PROCESS ANALYSIS
RIDERS FOR HEALTH
Riders for Health is an international phenom that needs no introduction, not at least in this field of social innovation and enterprise.
The use of motorbikes to collect samples and prescriptions from far-flung villages, transport it to labs in urban centers and deliver back reports, diagnosis, medications and reports to medical professionals and patients in several countries in Africa.
Starting in one country in 1991, it is now fully operational in 8 African countries, with constant plans of expansion, even beyond African borders.
The simplicity of their idea, combined with professionalism in outlook and operation has made them a highly effective and deeply respected organization, both internationally and more importantly by the local governments where they operate.
Of Interest to
New Framework creation
New market identification
Multi-sided platform offering
Working in a foreign country
Healthcare
Transportation
Nonprofit
Capacity Building/Emphasis on the local population
Self-sustaining Units
Use of urban/rural geography
process flow & analysis
The entire process of how Riders for Health came about has been crunched into an interactive graphic below. Hover over titles and buttons to read more.
Note that this is a dissemination and not a chronological representation of events. There is no storytelling. Factors and Value Propositions that led to its success has been appropriately tagged.
For full details and interactive graphic experience, please view this on your favorite browser on a desktop/laptop/tablet. Viewing it on a mobile device limits the amount of information.
Biking enthusiasts Andrea and Barry Coleman with friend & professional racer Randy Mamola raise money for charity.
Donate it to Save the Children Fund (SCF).
SCF suggests that Colemans to go to Africa and see ground conditions for themselves.
Once there, they realize they can do more than just donate money; realize healthcare deficits can be overcome by bridging the ‘last mile’ gap in delivery.
To use motorbikes to deliver and drop off samples from far flung areas to nearest urban/ hospital labs
What led to the starting for Riders’ was the bikes, the knowledge of which. The founders stood by it even as planning evolved. Over time other vehicles have been added, but the core element has remained the sturdy 2 wheeler.
circa 1986-87
circa 1988-89
Hover over yellow boxes to read critique
Entrepreneur alert!!
Be strategic about your contributions, tap into your own talents/skills/resources.
Examine the existing model, explore ideas as to whether you can add to it/better it/ create a new model…keep looking!!!
This is not just a sentimental beginning being honored but the very core of a Riders’ operation keeping in mind the terrain, adaptability of the bike to ground conditions and cost relative to convenience and speed.
Hover over green boxes to read analysis
Use their expertise in biking for the new project
Colemans were there in Africa, seeing conditions and prevailing health systems firsthand
A lot of equipment becomes unusable because of lack of maintenance training and / or unavailability of parts. This is a distinct downside of donated goods. Colemans address this at planning level, incorporating training of bike maintenance as part of their venture.
Save Children's' Fund, having worked with Colemans, become their champions, vouching for their efficacy. This is a key factor in establishing credibility.
Colemans are clear about using local knowledge in the venture. [Mahali Meheshwe- a local healthcare worker who had since become a bike maintenance expert, went on to create a maintenance system in Lesotho].
Some of the Riders' projects have taken years to bear fruit. [ While Lesothe operation started in 1991, Gambia was in 2014!!!
Untested ventures are a hard sell. Patience is a crucial factor, says A Coleman.
circa 1990-91
Planning leads to the creation of a multi-sided platform
Riders' take medical care directly to patients in far flung areas. By fetching samples and medicines from the doctors to the labs and back, they increase health levels in several villages across Africa
Riders' take samples, reports etc. from doctors and health workers in villages and transports it to labs and then back to doctors with results.
Labs identified to process samples. Agreements with them is crucial for the working of Riders for Health
Each Riders' Unit deals directly with local governments. Their permissions and licenses is required to operate in the country/region. Payment structure, tax breaks and import regulations is worked out with them.
IDENTIFYING VARIOUS CUSTOMER BASES HELPS CREATE OPERATIONAL MODEL THAT HAS OPTIMUM BENEFITS TO ALL
Knowing the various customer/client/target audience base is important when creating operational frameworks.
It helps identify
-Everyone you are dealing with
-In what capacity,
-And whether there can be a hierarchy of priorities etc.
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This is particularly critical in Social Enterprises where resources are very limited and because the work done has a very direct impact on the health, well-being and lives of people.
Policies and practices, salaries, at what point to start receiving salaries etc. determined.
Expansion and diversification plans explored. Both in terms of countries and different types of services, but all focused on its core-competency in Riders’ driving and training.
[While these take time to implement, and happens only AFTER one has reached a certain level of success, the plans were in place; focus was on the need all the time.]
Each country (in Africa) to operate as an independent unit, with core operational model replicated and then adapted to local conditions; Independent relationships established in each country it is planning to operate.
Colemans are v clear that day to day handholding will NOT be done for each unit; overall support and fundraising (where necessary) will continue.
DIVERSIFYING WITHIN RANGE OF CORE-COMPETENCY
Looking into all this at the planning level was crucial.
Offering a range of services all allied to Riders’ core competency brings added value to the client at the same time not incur major expenses to offer
Registering it in the UK first helps with bringing in international attention, gives some home-ground advantage for the Colemans (who are both British) and systems more streamlined in the UK than in Africa.
Championed by SCF, Riders’ starts officially in 1991 in Lesotho, South Africa. By 1996 fleet of bikes rise to 47.
CREATING A SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH CREDIBILITY & RELIABILITY
Knowing that a Riders’ operation means reliability under some tough conditions brings added peace of mind and assurance that the assignment will reach fruition for everyone involved- doctors, labs and patients.
Stuck with what they knew best- bikes! Put on bike races & rallies and raised money;
Coleman says she was unaware of things such as grants back then... but then again, grants come with so many stipulations that a fund-raising model did not.
Negotiated with local governments to import bikes and other equipment thus saving on import duty– big saving!
Driving route and fuel logistics rigorously worked out to remove as much surprises as possible in terms of cost estimating.
A pay for service model meant less relying on charity, a HUGE benefit for any social enterprise.
Each country operating as independent units allow for financial issues (and crises) to be limited to that unit & not become everyone’s problem ..This is critical where resources and finances are scarce!
USING LAWS & REGULATIONS AS COST SAVING MEASURES
Be aware of laws and regulations as well as import-export laws if your work is international. You can negotiate some very attractive deals at no extra deficit to the other if you bargain early on!
Since 1991, Riders’ has scaled and replicated its model in over 8 African countries.
Owing to its effectiveness , on demand, models to take it beyond African borders are being worked on.
Sights set on expansion based purely on need- Colemans see the need for something like Riders’ and so start working on how it will function across different regions or countries
Ambulance rentals, vehicle maintenance, fuel supply, emergency referrals etc. are some areas Riders’ have now diversified into.
Not going far from their core work makes it less burdensome on resources and cost. This has been built over the years, and not all Riders’ units have all the extra services; SEs are need-driven primarily and resources are scarce.
circa 1990-91
Hover over yellow boxes to read critique
Hover over yellow boxes to read critique
Hover over yellow boxes to read critique
All drivers hired locally; No gender bias.
Local knowledge of the place/region as well as microculture are important criteria. Also, it is a means to generate jobs locally.
Drivers trained not just to ride but also in defensive driving- from overcrowded streets to expecting leopards!
Taught basic bike maintenance.
Riders' operations to be characterized by minimum to zero breakdowns.
Scrupulous recording of data – mileage, fuel consumed, route maps, time taken etc. and logs maintained to show funders, clients (like health ministries) the effectiveness of their work
Logistical system created to
1) see time/distance/turnaround times 2) manpower needed to cope with the need
3) place themselves as a reliable service that had a methodology , that operated with a plan and not just a do-gooder service
Routes mapped to optimize distance/time to bring down turnaround times
Riders' think-tank very clear about every Riders' operation being an independent unit. Effort and time poured into establishing individual relationships with every government and health ministry of regions it has plans to operate in.
Hover mouse over boxes to read critique
In the world of Social Enterprise, one does not snag and manage ‘clients’; Or have ‘satisfied employees’. One cultivates human relationships.
Employees must feel a bigger connection to the cause for it to succeed.
Given how intrinsic the work is to human well-being, clients and stakeholders often become champions of the cause as well. And these pay tangible benefits
This is a venture where driver health nd safety is extremely critical for the successful delivery of the program. Riders have made this aa priority from the get-go.
Uniforms and helmets mandatory, so everyone knows these are Riders’ riders!! Rest and sleep breaks for the motor-bikers is also strictly enforced, a tired rider is a hazard to themselves, others on the road and to the several depending on them to deliver samples and results!
Bikes have special license plates for easy identification- at hospitals, on the roads and at the villages!
This is am important pointer for aspiring entrepreneurs- sometimes investing meager resources in employee welfare can yield high results. It is very important to identify this and budget for this from the beginning.
'Do not overpromise', warns Coleman, 'do not over extend yourself especially at the beginning. Deliver what you say you will, build slowly'.
Riders' has outstanding reputation in delivering where it matters. But it has a had a slow and steady growth with a lot of negotiating and patience.
Bag design- The success of a Riders' operation is hinged on samples and other materials being collected and delivered without breakage or contamination. A lot of importance was given to bag design, that the bikers carried on them / fixed to the bike.
Spill proof, shock proof bags designed so that bumpy roads and small falls do not upset samples and meds carried by bikers
Always have an eye out for associated and allied issues, which might end up being critical for your venture's implementation and success.
As a stakeholder, there is more than one way to help social innovation. Using your skills (and not always money or personnel or other visible/physical resources) is a good way to be an active stakeholder whilst not undertaking significant risk as an innovator/entrepreneur.
The bags, initially designed by fellow biker friend John Tremlett. This has since been modified and developed. The current design is UN certified. Bags differ depending on what the courier is carrying. The bags are designed to manage all issues related to effective diagnosis as samples are affected by light, temperature, vibration and time. "This is a huge advance in the ways samples have been dealt with in the past and is a unique innovation", says Coleman. There are many ways one can contribute effectively to an innovation as a stakeholder.
Patience is a key virtue for Social Entrepreneurs, maintains Andrea Coleman. She gives the example of Riders operations in Gambia that took 13 years to fruition!Political issues and governmental regulations, bureaucracy and red tape are all part of the deal, she says. How motivated you are to see your goal achieved is up to you!
IMPACT
Operational without interruption since 1991
Operating in 8 countries across Africa, each operating independently.
Their presence requested by Liberian government during Ebola breakout, to reduce turnaround times;
Riders' intervention brought down results turnaround time from 3 weeks to 9 hours.
furthermore....
The UK office of Riders for Health was closed in May 2016, given that individual Riders' operations in Africa were all up, running and self-sufficient (as was the plan!).
Two Wheels for Life, a dedicated fundraising unit started in UK to raise money for the Riders' cause globally.
Image Courtesy: Riders for Health
acknowledging..
Andrea Coleman, co-founder Riders for health. Her active inputs and interest in Quiet Value has made this case study a possibility. We are forever grateful to her.
Have a question? Or more?
If you want to know more about the Riders' process or have unanswered questions, please use the Contact Form below and post your query. We will get back in 3-5 business days.
Riders can be reached at https://www.ridersintl.org/
Two Wheels for Life can be reached at http://www.twowheelsforlife.org.uk/
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