COP REPORTS

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of AFD

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Evaluation Guidelines of Official International Development Funders

Abstract Development funders have an important role to play in supporting the pursuit of sustainable impact by the implementers of development programs, but this requires that they systematically integrate the objective of scaling, i.e., achieving sustainable impact at scale into their mission and their operational practices. Evaluation and evaluation guidelines are potentially important instruments for [...]

2024 Annual Report

The Scaling Community of Practice had a very active program of knowledge creation and exchange during 2024. This Annual Report 2024 summarizes the activities and provides links to key reports and video recordings of events. {{ vc_btn: title=Read+the+full+report&color=info&align=center&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fscalingcommunityofpractice.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2025%252F01%252FAnnual-Report.pdf%7Ctarget%3A_blank }}

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of USAID-Funded Research Outputs from Feed the Future’s Innovation Laboratories

Executive Summary In Fall 2023 the Scaling Community of Practice (SCoP) launched a three-year action research initiative to study how organizations working in international development, principally funders, mainstream scaling into their operations–a “Mainstreaming Initiative”.  As such, this initiative and this study do not focus on scaling or how to scale innovations, interventions or projects, but [...]

How Funder Practices Affect Funding Recipients

Abstract Funder practices significantly shape the ability of recipients—primarily implementing organizations in the Global South—to achieve sustainable outcomes at scale. This report examines recipients' perspectives on how funders' actions and requirements affect their capacity to scale development interventions effectively and sustainably. Drawing on key informant interviews, written stories, and a focus group, this report provides [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of GFF

Executive Summary The Global Financing Facility (GFF) was set up in 2015 to support developing countries in addressing serious systemic constraints in the provision of basic health services, with a special focus on Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition (RMNCAH-N). In recognition of the fact that the achievement of the Sustainable Development [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling in Funder Organizations: A Policy Brief

This policy brief presents a summary of results from the first year of a two-year action-research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations undertaken by the Scaling Community of Practice. It draws on a comprehensive, detailed interim synthesis report prepared by the authors and posted here. The initiative to date has completed 12 collaborative case [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling in Funder Organizations: An Interim Synthesis Report

The pursuit of sustainable development and climate impact at scale – or scaling, for short – has been receiving growing attention in the international development community over the last few years. The exponential growth of the Scaling Community of Practice (SCoP) membership from some 40 participants at its founding in 2015 to about 4,000 in [...]

Scaling Fundamentals

Abstract Development effectiveness by governments and development funders requires that their actions result in sustainable impact at scale, i.e., that they address identified development problems to a significant and measurable extent and on a sustained basis. In most cases, sustainable impact at scale cannot be achieved over short time horizons or spontaneously. It requires deliberate, [...]

2024 Annual Forum Proceedings

{{ vc_btn: title=Download+the+2024+Annual+Forum+Proceedings+here%21&color=turquoise&align=center&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fscalingcommunityofpractice.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2024%252F04%252FFINAL-2024-Proceedings-1.pdf%7Ctarget%3A_blank }} Introduction The Scaling Community of Practice (SCoP) is a global network of 4,000+ professionals from 400 organizations in 70 countries. The SCoP and its members are committed to ensuring that development and climate organizations adopt systematic approaches to achieve sustainable outcomes that match the scale of some of the world’s most [...]

Scaling Community of Practice: Strategy 2024-2033

The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) is a network of development and climate change professionals who are working to achieve impact at scale. It hosted its inaugural workshop in February 2015, where a group of 45 invited participants agreed to establish the CoP as a platform for sharing scaling experience and learning across sectors. The [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: Funders’ Role in Scaling Education Innovation

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of GCC

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; to draw lessons [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of CGIAR

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; to draw lessons [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case Study of CARE

Preface  The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of FTF

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; to draw lessons [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of SFSA

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of IFAD

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of SOFF

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of HarvestPlus

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of CRS

Preface   The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; to [...]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of IDB

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; [...]

Scaling Up the Impact of Development Programs Must Complement Other Approaches to Achieve the SDGs and Climate Goals

Abstract The international community risks falling substantially short in its efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement climate targets by 2030. Efforts to reach the goals have focused on raising more financial resources, on tracking progress and stimulating policy reform at national and local levels, and on innovation. This article […]

Mainstreaming Scaling: A Case study of GIZ

Preface The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) launched an action research initiative on mainstreaming scaling in funder organizations in January 2023. This initiative has three purposes: to inform the CoP members and the wider development community of the current state of support for and operationalization of scaling in a broad range of development funding agencies; […]

Mainstreaming the Scaling Agenda in Development Funder Organizations: A Progress Report

Introduction Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) entered into a strategic and financial agreement regarding a joint action-research initiative on “Mainstreaming the Scaling Agenda in Development Funder Organizations” to be implemented during 2023. The study team consists of Larry Cooley (Co-Chair of the Scaling CoP), Richard Kohl (Lead Consultant […]

2023 Annual Workshop Proceedings

{{ vc_btn: title=Download+the+2023+Annual+Workshop+Proceedings+here%21&color=turquoise&align=center&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fscalingcommunityofpractice.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2023%252F03%252F2023-Proceedings.pdf }} Introduction The Scaling Community of Practice convened its seventh Annual Workshop from 23 January to 8 February 2023. As with the preceding two Annual Workshops, the 2023 Workshop was held in virtual format. Eleven sessions, each 90 minutes in length, brought together 48 scaling practitioners and experts from a wide range [...]

Mainstreaming the Scaling Agenda in Development Funder Organizations: A Review

Introduction The international development community is increasingly paying attention to the need to sustainably scale development impact.[1] One indicator of this growing interest is the rapid increase in the membership of the Scaling Community of Practice (CoP). Moreover, there are indications that development funders individually and jointly are focusing more on scaling development impact than [...]

Taking Innovations to Scale

Scaling CoP 2023-2025 Strategic Plan

The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) is a network of development and climate change professionals who are working to achieve impact at scale. It hosted its inaugural workshop in February 2015, where a group of 45 invited participants agreed to establish the CoP as a platform for sharing scaling experience and learning across sectors. The [...]

Exploratory Study of Mainstreaming Scaling

{{ vc_btn: title=Download+the+paper+here&color=success&size=lg&align=center&link=url%3Ahttps%253A%252F%252Fscalingcommunityofpractice.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2022%252F11%252FExploratory-Study-of-Mainstreaming-Scaling.pdf }} 1. Introduction Despite increasing discussion within the international development community about the importance of scaling, actual scaling activities and the resources devoted to it remain at a low level.  This contributes to the general underperformance of development assistance compared to the need and threatens to prevent the global community from achieving [...]

Advancing Change from the Outside In

Lessons Learned About the Effective Use of Evidence and Intermediaries to Achieve Sustainable Outcomes at Scale Through Government Pathways Increasingly, governments and international development actors recognize the importance and challenges of achieving impact at scale, but there remains a glaring gap between stated intentions and actual practices. A movement is emerging to professionalize discussions about [...]

Scaling and Systems Change Have to Go Hand-in-hand

The relationship between scaling and systems change has been much debated within the scaling literature over the last few years. Those who focus on systems change, have argued that most scaling efforts are flawed because they ignore or underappreciate the role of systems. Too often they narrowly consider only how to increase the number of [...]

Three Case Studies Applying the Scaling Principles of the Scaling Community of Practice

This collection of three case studies was prepared with the goal of demonstrating how the Scaling Principles of the Scaling Community of Practice can be applied to actual cases of scaling.[1] All three cases are “retrospective” in the sense that they look back at scaling experience for three programs or initiatives and explore how their […]

Scaling Principles and Lessons

Acknowledgements This paper was prepared for and endorsed by the Executive Committee of the Scaling Community of Practice on behalf of the Community to support development practitioners in their efforts to achieve sustainable development impact at scale. The paper draws on the experience of many experts whose work was reviewed and who provided their advice […]

Scaling Principles

Abstract Scaling has increasingly been accepted by international development actors as core to their mission, goals and activities. While a number of scaling frameworks have been developed, there is no consensus as to widely applicable scaling principles and lessons. To address this gap, the Scaling Community of Practice commissioned this working paper to help develop […]

Scaling and Systems: Issues Paper

A recent Working Paper for the Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) identified a number of cross-cutting issues whose further exploration would benefit the entire CoP membership.  One of these was the relationship between Scaling and Systems.  There has been a vigorous debate in the scaling community on the extent to which systems need to be […]

Crosscutting Issues Affecting Scaling: A Review and Appraisal of Scaling in International Development

The Scaling Community of Practice (CoP) held its 5th Annual Workshop on 19-30 October 2020. Three virtual plenary sessions and nine virtual working group (WG) sessions covered a wide range of scaling aspects. Recordings of these sessions are available on the CoP’s website (www.scalingcommunityofpractice.com) and are summarized in the CoP’s Newsletter #19 which can be […]