Scaling Up International Environment & Natural Resources Programs

Scaling Up International Environment & Natural Resources Programs Strategies and Approaches JOHN HAECKER September 2015

This article draws on content from: Cooley, L., & Ved, R. (2012). Scaling Up – From Vision to Large-Scale Change: A Management Framework for Practitioners. Management Systems International.

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INTRODUCTION Climate change, renewable energy, conservation and biodiversity, deforestation and forest degradation, and sustainable livelihoods are among the big environmental challenges of our time. Organizations across the globe from governments to international NGOs to community-based groups are working to tackle these areas. Many are innovating, designing pilot or demonstration activities, or implementing already proven programs, approaches or technologies. But how do we bring these efforts to scale to achieve broad and lasting impact for a sustainable planet? There is no easy answer, but by taking a deliberate and methodical approach to scaling up, organizations can increase the likelihood that their solutions will extend well beyond their initial reach.

Scalability and Planning for Scale

Some questions that we have found useful for environmental

Scaling up is a systematic process through which innovations,

exercise to explore scaling up include:

organizations to address during a visioning and planning

promising approaches, programs or models are implemented on a larger scale for greater impact. Scale success means

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that quality and results are sustained as interventions are

provided to larger and more wide-ranging audiences, and

What would scaling up look like if it were successful? What will be the anticipated impacts on carbon reduction, forest

conservation, or renewable energy generation, for example?

sometimes by different providers. Scalability refers to how viable it will be to bring an innovation, product, model, or

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approach to scale, how relatively hard or easy that process

will be, and how it can best be facilitated. It also requires an

What dimensions or factors need to be considered for

scaling up to take place? These dimensions include scope

of the problem, range of geographic coverage, numbers of

understanding of the contextual factors that affect the

people to be reached, array of services to be provided, and

scalability of what is being scaled.

types of clients to be targeted.

Historically, the easiest efforts to scale have been those that

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involve both a clear and replicable technological innovation, and a business model that generates financial resources

Can the model be simplified without undermining its

effectiveness? Is it absolutely necessary to replicate all elements of the model on a large scale?

needed for expansion. A long-life solar lamp that can

compete directly on value against the purchase price and fuel

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costs of a kerosene lamp is one example. Social programs, on the other hand, present unique scaling challenges as

What organizational, process, and technical factors were

critical to success on a pilot/smaller scale? How can these factors be carried forward for success on a large scale?

market forces alone may not be sufficient to enable scale to

be achieved. These programs often require creating demand,

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building constituencies and changing government policies and budget priorities.

Does the organization have the desire, funding and

organizational capacity to expand its operations and deliver services on a substantially larger scale? If not, which

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organization(s) are best suited and motivated to implement

and therefore needs to be advocated by “champions” who

implementing the model?

from the public, nonprofit, or private sectors. High-level

the model on a scaled-up basis or to serve as partners in

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have widespread credibility. These individuals can come

support is essential for getting policies approved, budgetary

Will the scaling-up effort require a policy change by the

priorities adopted, and developing the broader and deeper

government, or rely exclusively on voluntary adoption by

base of support needed for implementation. More generally,

private and non-governmental organizations? If government

this support is critical for attracting potential adopting

support is required, how will a constituency be created,

organizations, persuading funders to provide support, and

and will these changes threaten or displace competing

ensuring acceptance of the model among new locations,

approaches or priorities?

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client populations, and potentially competing organizations.

Information also plays a critical role in legitimizing change,

How much financial support will be required in the short

as it is vital to demonstrate that the proposed innovation

run? In the long run? What will enable sustainable funding?

or model is successful, cost-effective, and feasible. In one

How can delivery efficiency be improved as the program

country, for instance, disseminating evaluations and lessons

proceeds?

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on the success of the Population, Health, and Environment

(PHE) model, including its strengths, weaknesses, and cost

What other support will be needed to assist in the scaling-up

effectiveness, helped to generate a wider understanding of and

process? Which organizations are best suited to perform

potential support for policy reforms supportive of linkages.

these roles?

Build a constituency. Implementation requires active and

Organizations should also consider the method they will

ongoing support to build momentum and overcome common

use for scaling up. Typically, the choices include expansion,

tendencies toward inaction and backsliding. The most reliable

replication, or collaboration/partnerships. Expansion means

constituencies are those who can hope to benefit directly from

the organization that “owns” the product/service/approach

implementation of the new model, but support can also come

takes it to scale by increasing its scope of operations to

from organizations and individuals who support the change

expand and grow. Replication involves getting others,

philosophically or politically. The task of constituency building

which may include the public sector, to take up and

complements and amplifies the legitimation process described

implement the product/service/approach. In that case,

above by going beyond a passive acceptance of the need for

other organizations are sought out to adopt the model. A

change to mobilizing action in favor of specific changes and

collaborative method falls somewhere in between, building

models. Potential tactics for building needed constituencies

partnerships, alliances or networks to scale the effort.

include organizing multi-stakeholder coalitions, conducting

Each method has pros and cons. A thorough analysis and

advocacy campaigns, direct outreach to business, religious,

examination of the trade-offs should be conducted to

labor, or other civil society groups, and mobilizing grassroots

choose the best course.

campaigns. Demonstrating efficacy through evidence-based proof points may be required to obtain support to enable a program to be taken to scale.

Laying the Ground Work for Effective Scaling

Rare, an environmental nonprofit, builds demand in the

After the initial planning, the real work begins! Organizations

Philippines for its Fish Forever program for improved near-shore

need to lay the ground work for success. This requires

fisheries management from municipality leaders by offering

getting the issues in front of key decision makers, aligning

training workshops through the League of Mayors. Mayors learn

constituencies to support needed changes, and mobilizing or

about the program’s effectiveness from other mayors who have

generating the required resources.

adopted the program and tracked its success and benefits.

Find champions who support the change. Scaling up usually

Realign and mobilize resources. For scaling up to be

implies a shift in attitudes and actions among those affected,

successful, resources need to be mobilized for the new 2

model to operate on an expanded scale. Equally important,

lead to greater complexity in model design and scaling up

Partnerships that bring together the best assets of each

process more difficult and expensive, and may increase the

resources are also needed to support the scaling up process.

processes. But increased complexity will make the scaling up

organization can be a powerful and efficient way to mobilize

institutional resistance to change. The challenge is to simplify

the resources needed for the scaling up process. Advocacy

the product or service, minimize costs, and maintain quality

campaigns can also help marshal resources. And, as

without sacrificing expected outcomes.

mentioned previously, the adoption of market-based

approaches that recover costs and generate financial

Lesson 4: Use market-based approaches where possible.

growth for years to come.

relatively few commodity-based interventions have been

resources can help ensure a viable stream of funds for

The role of markets is key for reaching scale. For example, sustainable at scale without a market or market-like

incentives. Governments and international donors with

Lessons Learned on Scaling

adequate budgets are often able to provide services to

citizens on a fully-subsidized basis. At the other extreme,

Through MSI’s work and research, we’ve learned a number

corporations and supply chains use market incentives and

of important lessons for organizations to consider.

mechanisms to ensure financial success for sustainability initiatives. An NGO-sponsored environmental or social

These include:

program may fall somewhere in the middle. Look for ways to use market incentives and approaches to ensure long-

Lesson 1: Recognize scaling takes time. Scaling up an effort

term viability. Putting a cap on the total amount of scarce

almost always takes longer than envisioned. Some evidence

water available to farmers, then allocating shares to them,

suggests that the average time for scaling up to a national-

empowers farmers to manage the resource. Farmers can

level application is 10 -15 years. Securing and maintaining the

buy and sell shares in response to the current value of the

needed commitment and resources over a long period calls for

crops they grow.

tangible milestones, strategic communications and an explicit

strategy for maintaining momentum. It also requires managers

Lesson 5: Engage others in the process. Experience and

systemic change.

can be invaluable for performing or assisting with many

and policy makers to think beyond projects to permanent

theory both suggests that neutral, third-party expertise of the tasks involved in successfully transferring or

Lesson 2: Design and plan with scale in mind. Without early

expanding a model. Seek out such organizations to help

consideration of scale, products, services or innovations

facilitate and perform tasks such as visioning and planning,

are typically either over- or under-designed. For example,

project evaluation and process documentation, political

they may be built/delivered at a price that is too expensive

mapping and stakeholder assessments, coalition building,

to modify later, or the necessary market support and

convening, design and conduct of advocacy campaigns,

institutional infrastructure needed later are neglected. Plan

and fundraising.

“backwards” by starting with an eye on scale and a strategy to achieve it. This requires early focus on unit costs,

financial sustainability, budget timetables, and delivery

efficiency. It also requires investing heavily in information

John Haecker is a technical director

and evidence-gathering, and being strategic in the design, selection and testing of the model or approach.

at Management Systems International. His expertise includes sustainability, scaling

Lesson 3: Keep it simple. The simpler an intervention, the

up, program strategy, and organizational

more feasible it will be to reach scale. Unfortunately, there is

development. He can be reached by phone

a tendency to add elements to pilot projects in an effort to

at 703-979-7100 and by e-mail at

maximize effectiveness. Bureaucratic incentives generally

jhaecker@msi-inc.com.

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