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? •
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? •
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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