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 is not always quantitative. Additionally, it needs to have a wide range of actors.

While using consumer data to improve products is crucial, doing so won't scale an intervention. Think about how difficult it is for rivals to copy quick product improvements, like those seen in credit bureaus and information aggregators like LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters.

Instead, when the data improvement cycle is slower or when it results in an ecosystem impact, a competitive advantage might be obtained. For this reason, it's critical to comprehend the components required to realize scaling objectives and to be selective about which facets of a multifarious program should be modified.

The most effective scaling impact initiatives focus on comprehending the complexity of systems transformation and designing their programs accordingly. In contrast to the conventional stand-alone project philosophy that emphasizes product, end user, and number, this calls for a distinct perspective and skill set. It also calls for a fresh approach to evaluation: dynamic evaluation, which examines how, for whom, and under what circumstances shifting actions have an impact. This is feasible thanks to modern analytics tools.

Beyond a pilot project, many international development initiatives strive to scale their breakthroughs. Unfortunately, this frequently entails an emphasis on "maximum potential scale," which misses the fact that considerable changes in institutional, social, and technological configurations, rather than merely more users of an innovation, are necessary to address societal consequences like poverty and food insecurity.

Scaling-up initiatives frequently lead to changes that have an influence beyond those of the initial project recipients. The goal of responsible scaling is to maximize the impact for all parties. As an illustration, if an irrigation scheme boosts agricultural yields for certain farmers, it can result in less water being available for other users in the same area or community. Complexity science's guiding concepts are used to guide this strategy.

There are reasons to be optimistic about the possibility of scaling, despite the numerous difficulties. The significance and promise of scaling research, development, and innovation in addressing global issues including poverty, food security, climate change, and other global concerns is beginning to be understood by an increasing number of organizations.

An effective approach for scaling that requires creating common images or narratives of an issue and its surroundings is systems thinking. It is especially helpful when dealing with complex or wicked problems that are too huge for one individual to comprehend from a single point of view.