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.
  4. Establish and maintain a monitoring and evaluation system.
  5. Support institutional development for scale.

AS YOU SCALE UP…

STEP 9: Develop the partners' capacity and capability to implement the program.

Implementing partners that choose to adopt a new approach may not be able to effectively implement it without orientation, training, and technical assistance. The original CM program team, therefore, will need to prepare training and technical assistance teams and materials for use at the regional or other levels depending on organizational structure. Reading a manual or talking with field workers from other organizations who have program experience will not adequately prepare the partners to go out and do the work, especially if the participatory approach is not part of the partners’ culture. It is essential that partners support participatory approaches, not only in the field but within their own organizations.

One way to help new partners experience the approach is through modeling. Centers for learning and living universities are examples of modeling which have proved immensely useful for replicating programs. The Vietnam Case Study presented later in this phase illustrates how living universities were used to introduce interested individuals and groups to the positive deviance approach to nutritional rehabilitation.

Partners can also model the types of attitudes, behaviors, relationships, systems and processes they are attempting to implement with communities in their own organizations and in the ways that partners relate to one another. In particular, partners can ensure that their structure, decision-making, planning and monitoring and evaluation processes are consistent with the participatory community mobilization approach. When your systems and experience are aligned with your vision, it is easier to stay on course.

Training for scaling-up