Take Brian Wang's idea of a nuclear cannon, which can deliver cargo to the moon. Load it up with raw materials that can be used on the moon so that you can build whatever you need there on the spot.
It would be like in-situ resourcing with stuff that you know is there because you put it there. That is opposed to going somewhere on the expectation of finding something there, but not sure about it.
You can put thousands of tons of stuff on the moon with one shot. Then send an expedition to recover it there and to make stuff out of it on the moon. This can jump start development of the moon.
Update:
I don't know if it would survive, so it may not be a good idea, but consider this: send along some ammonium carbonate. It is otherwise known as "smelling salts". The good thing about it is that it decomposes readily under heat into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Now, these two products can come in mighty handy if you got great quantities of it on the moon.
The ammonia can be harvested for energy and converted into water by using the plentiful oxygen on the surface of the moon. The moon is literally made of oxygen. Burning ammonia will produce heat and water. Also nitrogen which can be collected and used as breathable air.
The carbon dioxide can be used in more ways than can be imagined.
Update:
How about combining an Orion type craft that can land softly on the moon with this nuclear cannon? If you could get this much mass safely landed on the moon, it would be a stupendous achievement.
I've discussed Orion on this blog recently. Scroll down a bit to find it.
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