In the public sector, success isn’t measured in dollars – it’s measured in mission outcomes. At Prodacity, Jason Fraser, CEO of Mission Ratio, explored how applying private-sector principles to mission-driven organizations can maximize impact. His key takeaway? Mission success isn’t just about effort, it’s about leverage.
The Story of Max: From Pararescue to Software Development
Fraser introduced the audience to Max, a U.S. Air Force serviceman who originally trained as a pararescue jumper. His goal was clear: protect freedom, fight the bad guys, and save lives. But when an injury ended his jumping career, he was reassigned to software development which was a path he never planned to take.
At first, this shift felt like a loss. But over time, Max realized something powerful: while “one jump could save one life, his software could impact thousands of lives every day”. This is the core concept of leverage which is how effort scales to create exponentially greater outcomes.
What Is a Mission Ratio?
Mission-driven organizations often struggle with measuring success. Unlike private companies, which track revenue and profit, organizations focused on impact need a different formula. Enter mission ratios: a way to quantify value in terms of outcomes per unit of input.
A ratio has two components:
- Antecedent (the input) – What resources are invested (e.g., staff, time, funding)?
- Consequent (the outcome) – What results are delivered (e.g., applications processed, meals provided, medical hours delivered)?
For example, consider:
- One gallon of gas = 40 miles traveled
- One cooktop = 500 meals served per day
By focusing on ratios, organizations can make better decisions about where to allocate time, energy, and money to achieve the greatest mission impact.
Doing More With the Same Resources
One real-world example Fraser shared was a government agency tasked with processing 85,000 more applications per year without additional staff or work hours. Initially, this seemed impossible.
But by analyzing the mission ratio, they discovered that 30% of the application was never actually used by anyone so they removed those sections. This small change reduced workload by 30%, making the increased application volume manageable.
The takeaway? Optimizing mission ratios isn’t just about working harder, it’s about working smarter.
Zombie Projects and The Hidden Drain on Resources
Fraser also warned about zombie projects which are initiatives that started with good intentions but no longer provide meaningful impact. These projects consume time, money, and talent, yet no one wants to shut them down.
To maximize mission effectiveness, organizations must regularly ask:
- Are our efforts aligned with mission outcomes?
- Are we measuring the right things?
- Are we prioritizing high-impact initiatives over legacy work?
Impact Mapping by Aligning Effort With Strategy
A simple framework Fraser introduced is Impact Mapping, which breaks down mission success into four steps:
- Mission – The overarching goal (e.g., deliver emergency food aid).
- Actors – The people and systems supporting that goal (e.g., local chefs, supply chain teams).
- Impacts – What these actors can do to help (e.g., sourcing food locally, optimizing meal delivery).
- Deliverables – The tangible actions needed (e.g., setting up local kitchens, coordinating volunteers).
An example of this in action is World Central Kitchen, which mobilizes food aid in disaster zones. Instead of relying on expensive, centralized infrastructure, they leverage local resources like partnering with nearby restaurants and available cooktops to maximize meals served.
Three Questions for Developers
Fraser left the audience with three questions:
- What is your mission? If you build software for someone else, their mission becomes your mission.
- What ratios can you examine to find leverage? Where can small changes have a massive impact?
- When will you start? The best time to rethink efficiency is right now.
Final Thought
For software developers in mission-driven organizations, measuring success goes beyond lines of code or deployments. The real metric is how effectively your software drives meaningful outcomes. By adopting mission ratios, eliminating waste, and aligning technology with strategy, developers can maximize impact; not just for a single user, but for entire communities.
The question isn’t just how much work we do, it’s how much impact that work creates.