Lessons from Five Programs for Scaling Impact
Scaling impact has emerged as a preferred objective for global development initiatives. What does that mean, though? Scaling calls for a distinct perspective and set of skills beyond merely counting the number of project beneficiaries who adopt innovations. Projects must address the intricate problems that support current systems and pinpoint change levers if they are to be successful at scale. A "product, end-user, and number focused" mentality rooted in donor processes that puts pressure on project implementers to provide certain outputs within time-bounded funding dominates the present scaling paradigm. This way of thinking encourages systematic opposition to accepting systems change as a component of the solution. We must change our perspective from one of "maximum potential scale" for a select few to one of "responsible scaling" for all in order to advance the common good. This entails understanding that larger is not always better and that scaling i