What is a Results Mega Buy?

Most programmes are full of activity:

workshops, reports, pilots, stakeholder meetings, assessments.

Everyone is busy.

But when the programme ends… what actually remains?

In this episode of the Flywheel Economics podcast, Chief Economist Richard Ough introduces the concept of Results Mega Buys (RMBs): a framework built around identifying and protecting the few high-leverage results most likely to create lasting systems change.

Rather than spreading effort across dozens of competing priorities, RMBs focus on:

• The results that genuinely shift incentives and behaviour

• The reforms most likely to endure

• And the “flywheels” that continue generating momentum long after external support ends

The conversation explores:

• Why focus matters more than activity
• The danger of “accidental portfolios”
• The political economy of saying no
• How to identify results that actually stick
• And why some programmes become systems while others become subscriptions

If you work in programme development, economic policy, institutional reform, investment, innovation, public sector transformation, or monitoring & evaluation — this episode is for you.

Listen now and explore the thinking behind Results Mega Buys.

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