S E P T 2 0 1 9
Part 1: Scaling of
Innovations

Outline
• Scaling is a hot topic
• What scaling is all about
• Our unique context
• Scaling the old way
• Reasons for poor performance
• Scaling the new way
• What is it that we are
trying to scale?
• Evidence-based approach
to scaling

Scaling is a hot topic

What scaling is all about?
Making optimal use of available resources and time in projects
or program to have better development impacts and reach
more beneficiaries, faster and more cost-efficient

What scaling is all about?
Numbers are only part of the story…
I’ll give you
USD 10 if you
adopt this new
variety
I don’t like the
taste and there
is no market,
but anyway… Owke

Our unique context?

Scaling the old way
1. End of project or program
2. No tailored strategies for scaling of innovation
3. No resources allocated
4. Limited insights in the needs of public and private
scaling partners
5. Unrealistic ideas about impact (from unproven
idea to reaching 2M farmers in 3 years)
6. One size fits all approach
7. No scaling experts involved
Resulting in disappointing results and impacts

Reasons for poor performance
1. Strong focus on the technologies, and not on the
enabling environment
2. No evidence-based approaches to identify
bottlenecks for scaling, and develop (cost-
)effective and contextualized scaling strategies
3. Scaling bottlenecks are ignored or framed as being
outside of our comfort zone or zone of influence
4. We work with the same partners on a broad range
of innovation and scaling challenges
5. Scientist are not the best scaling champions

Why we need to do better?
1. Increasing competition in the agricultural innovation
and scaling domains
2. Donors see themselves as investors in agricultural
innovation and scaling and want:
1. Strong business plan with evidence of scaling
potential before allocating resources
3. Donors such as GIZ, EU and also USAID started to
adopt and integrate principles of “Readiness” in
the resource allocation and MEL frameworks
4. Our reputation as centre of excellence and delivery

Scaling the new way
1. Integral part of project/ innovation design
2. Evidence-based Scaling Strategies
3. Realistic scaling based on resources allocated
4. Scaling partners (e.g. private sector, government)
are fit-for-purpose and co-invest in scaling
5. Tailored scaling strategies to the different contexts
where innovations are to be scaled
6. Monitoring and Evaluation metrics and tools
Increase the likelihood that projects reach scale!

Hybrid/ or electric vehicles
• Technological innovation
(battery strength/ life)
• Infrastructural innovation (charging stations)
• Market innovation (promotions, incentives)
• Policy innovation (subsidies for clean vehicles)
• Value chain innovation (availability of spare parts)
• Mindset innovation (electric cars are ‘cool’)
• Educational innovation (training of new mechanics)
• Political innovation (‘manage’ fossil fuel lobby?)
What are we trying to scale?

What are we trying to scale?
Unpacking
innovations and
critically review
which technological,
social, market,
political
components require
attention

Evidence-based approach to scaling
Using evidence to make decisions on:
1. What are we trying to scale (innovation package)?
2. What are the main bottlenecks for scaling in a
specific context?
3. What do we need to do to overcome the main
bottleneck(s) for scaling?
4. What is our scaling strategy to achieve that?
5. Who do we need to partner with (media, lobby
group, etc)?
6. What is the best partnership process?
7. Is it leading to improvements?

S E P T 2 0 1 9
Part 2: Scaling
Readiness

General introduction

About Scaling Readiness
1. For whom?
• For organisations or individuals with an interest in:
1. Improving the scaling performance of individual
interventions or projects
2. Managing a portfolio of projects or investments
aimed at scaling of innovation
3. Developing or evaluating projects aimed at scaling
of innovation (resource mobilization)

About Scaling Readiness
Stepwise approach to
scaling of innovation:
0. Fit-for-Purpose
1. Characterise
2. Diagnose
3. Strategize
4. Agree
5. Navigate
Transparent and
manageable process

Step 1 - Characterize
Scaling cassava disease control in southern Tanzania
• Characterize interventions, context, stakeholder
networks
• Understand innovations as packages

Step 2 – Diagnose the bottlenecks
• Scaling
Readiness
assessment
of an
innovation
package
showing how
“government
seed system”
is the main
bottleneck.

Step 3 - Strategize
Strategic option Description
Substitute Can the bottleneck be replaced by another innovation which is of higher readiness
and/ or use in the given context?
Outsource Are there any organisations or external experts which can improve the Scaling
Readiness of the bottleneck more (cost-)effective and efficient than your
intervention team?
Develop If outsourcing is not possible, feasible or too expensive, can the intervention team
improve the readiness and/or the use by investing available intervention capacities
and resources?
Relocate Can the intervention be implemented in another location where the bottleneck is
absent or can be addressed by one of the above strategic options?
Reorient Can the objective of the intervention be changed so that the (new) bottleneck can
be addressed by one of the above strategic options?
Postpone Can the scaling of the innovation package be achieved at a later point in time?
Stop If none of the above strategic options are likely to overcome the bottlenecks for
scaling, then stopping the investment in the scaling intervention should be
considered as an option.
Explore strategic options to overcome scaling bottlenecks

Step 3 - Strategize
• E.g. replace
bottleneck
by an
innovation
that has
higher
Scaling
Readiness
• Evidence
based
partner
selection

Step 4 – Agree on Scaling Strategy
• Engage key
stakeholders
(project
partners,
donors, etc.)
in developing
a Scaling
Strategy and
Scaling Action
Plan

Step 5 – Navigate, monitor and learn
Did the strategy and actions have the desired effect?

S E P T 2 0 1 9
Part 3: What can
ILRI do with it?

Objective 1: Project management
1. Support projects in
understanding ”What is
it that we are trying to
scale” and “What is
needed to scale that?”
2. Support projects in
developing evidence-
based and context-
specific Scaling
Strategies

Objective 1: Project management
1. What are the
bottlenecks for
scaling?
2. Develop Scaling
Strategies to
overcome them
3. Identify the right
partners to work on
overcoming the
bottlenecks

Objective 2: Portfolio management
Manage investments in innovation and scaling
Research Delivery Business Development

Objective 2: Portfolio management
The systematic approach allows for project portfolio management

Objective 3: Resource Mobilisation
1. Having a comprehensive database of ILRI
innovations and information about their Scaling
Readiness
2. Selecting “Scaling Ready” innovations for specific:
1. Outcomes (SDGs)
2. Sectors (e.g. Education, Agriculture, Waste
Management
3. Location (Hub or Country)
3. Provide specific information on:
1. Other projects working on the innovation
2. R4D and P4D partners working on the innovation
in a particular location

Objective 3: Resource Mobilization

Coming soon…
Thank you