Prepare To Scale Up

STEPS
BEFORE YOU SCALE UP
  1. Have a vision to scale up from the beginning of the project.
  2. Determine the effectiveness of the approach.
  3. Assess the potential to scale up.
  4. Develop an evaluation plan
  5. Build a consensus to scale up.
  6. Advocate for supportive policies.
AS YOU SCALE UP
  1. Define the roles, relationships and responsibilities of implementing partners.
  2. Secure funding and other resources.
  3. Develop the partners' capacity to implement the program.
  4. Establish and maintain a monitoring and evaluation system.
  5. Support institutional development for scale.
    6.

AS YOU SCALE UP…

STEP 11: Support institutional development for scale.

For community action to be sustained over the long term on a larger scale, it needs to depend not on individuals but on organizations and/or networks dedicated to the issue-in this case, health.

It is not realistic to assume that a community mobilization effort on one specific theme will be sustained forever. However, in many cases effective community mobilization approaches stimulate individuals and groups to organize around a theme and develop the necessary skills to continue to improve their health and well-being. Associations of community volunteer health workers, such as the one presented in the Philippines Case Study later in this phase, are a good example of how community volunteer health workers organized to gain support.

Advocacy groups and coalitions can build support for ongoing assistance to communities as they learn to better identify and address their health needs. Initially, these associations and groups may need assistance to help them establish goals and objectives, develop management and financial systems, procedures, etc., particularly when members have not participated in this type of group before. As these groups gain the skills and experience they need, they become more adept at planning their strategies, accessing resources and linking with other organizations.

Many resources are available on institutional development to assist partners in this phase of a program. Some of these are presented in the Resource list.

This phase concludes with a summary of lessons learned followed by three case studies of how three community mobilization programs were scaled up; in Vietnam, Bolivia, and Philippines.

Summary of Lessons Learned