Scaling Agricultural Innovations:
Theoretical and Practical Insights from
Africa RISING Ethiopian Highlands Project
Million Getnet, Kindu Mekonnen and Peter Thorne
International Livestock Research Institute
6th Annual National Research Conference, Hossana, 6-7 June 2019

Introduction of Africa RISING Ethiopian Highlands
Project
 Two phases: 1st- 2012-2016 and 2nd -2016-2021
 Funded by USAID’s through the US FtF initiative
 Principal focus – SI of mixed farming systems
 Operates– West Africa, E and S Africa and Ethiopia
1st Phase:
 Implemented-8 research kebeles in 4 regions
 Partners:9 CGIAR centers, universities, research
institutions, 4 agriculture offices, NGOs, farmers
 Partnerships facilitated via multi-tier IPs
 The focus was on R4D activities to validate technologies
2nd Phase:
-Focus: Scaling validated technologies & backstopping R4D
-Scope: Same regions but 28 districts
-Partnership: More diverse, mainly with Dev’t and Extension

Irrigated/rain-fed fodder Crop residue management and utilization
Faba bean/forage intercropping Fodder and fertilizer trees/shrubs
Some examples of the project interventions:

Community based seed multiplicationPVS on major crops
Crop production and storageManagement of enset bacterial wilt

High value fruit trees
Soil-test based nutrient amendments
Raised bed/ ridges and furrow
Mechanized seeding

Tractor mounted motor pumps
Water harvesting, lifting and saving - ponds, rope and washer and solar pumps
Shallow well with a pulley system to
irrigate vegetables and avocado trees

Partial view of the watershed in Basona
Worena
Partial view of trench structures for SWC and
water retention at the watershed in Basona
Gabions and gully shaping at the
model watershed in Basona
Land reclamation through biological and
physical means at the watershed in Basona

Percolation pits for water storage and
irrigation use in Basona Worena
Shallow wells for small-scale irrigation
at the watershed in Lemo
SWC activities at the watershed in Basona
Desho grass on SWC structures at
the watershed in Lemo

Africa RISING scaling intervention areas

Some theoretical basis: The scaling
debate
Technology centred:
• Technology transfer and diffusion of innovation
models
• Participatory approaches
Transition centred:
• Multi-Level-Perspective model
• Niche, Regime, Landscape
Space centred:
• Scaling up, scaling out
Scaling is Buzz Word in Research
[Driven by funding constraints and/or the desire for
impact]

Where is the gap in scaling science?
• Scaling is less theorized, practice leading the science
• Existing literature on scaling is mostly
• Technocratic: Technologies will fix everything
• Reductionist : Using simple models of scaling
• Depoliticised: Down playing the role of power and
politics
• Hence, there is a need revisit the concept of scaling
and scaling strategies
The Research Question
• “What theoretical and practical insights can be
derived from engaging with critical social
science studies of ‘scale’and ‘scaling?’”.

The proposed theoretical lenses
Social construction of scale (Marston 2000) :
• Challenges the notion of scale that is bounded and
fixed
• Scale is conceptualized as constituted by social
actors, their interest and their relations
• Scaling innovations require managing complex set
of actors, their interest and relations
Spatial strategies for scaling (Wigbolduset al. 2017; Jones2017;
Smith2004; Menter et al. 2004)
• Scaling out: Increasing number of users
• Scaling up: Institutionalization, collective action
• Scale jumping: Surmounting local trap
• Scaling down: Embedding in culture and context
• Scale bending: Surmounting structural traps

Conceptual framework for effective scaling

Methodology
• Theoretically driven qualitative study
• Guided by the heuristic concepts of social construction of
scale, and spatial strategies
• The data collection aimed at exploring and validating these
concepts
• Both primary and secondary data were used
• Primary data: Key informant interviews with CGIAR
researchers (6), Africa RISING site coordinators (4), expert
FGDs (4), farmer FGDs (2)
• Secondary data: Africa RISING Reports on DSpace
• Data analysis: MAXQDA supported coding, extracting codded
segments, developing story lines, writing-up

Results and Discussion
• The first phase: Spontaneous scaling
• Spill-over, ad-hoc or accidental
• Second phase: Systematic horizontal and vertical scaling
Social Construction of Scaling in Africa RISING
• The long-term engagement in phase I provided technologies,
trust and cordial relationship (Hartmann and Linn 2008).
• The 2nd phase built on solid partnerships
• But was affected by scalar politics of the project itself, such as
the challenge of funding uncertainty following US election
• And it required complex partnership building (Linn 2012b)
• Hence, actors, interests and relations of technology
generators, funders and scaling partners have had to be
managed and mobilized

Result and Discussion
Spatial strategies in Africa RISING scaling work
Scaling Out: Building
partners capacity, initial
planting material
Rating: Good
experience
Scaling Up:
Institutionalizing scaling
efforts
Rating: Limited
experience but
improving
Scale Jumping: Targeting national
strategies and initiatives
Rating: Good experience, with more
space for improvement
Scaling Down: Partnership building
beyond Africa RISING sites
Rating: Good experience, with more
space for improvement
Scaling Bending: Circumventing limiting
regional policies
Rating: Limited experience

Core conclusions
• Scaling is complex, involving multiple actors working in
multiple hierarchical and networked spaces.
• Effective scaling requires scaling out and scaling up,
scale jumping, scaling down and scale bending
strategies
• Scaling may not be strictly planned, relies heavily on
long-term partnerships, trust and learning.
• Scaling strategies need to be flexible, step-wise and
reflective.

CGIAR Partners:

 Academic institutions:
 Wachemo, Mekelle, Madawolabu, Debre Berhan and Hawassa universities;
Maichew Agricultural College
 Regional research organizations:
 Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Southern Agricultural
Research Institute, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, Oromia Agricultural
Research Institute
 Federal research organizations:
 Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research, Ethiopian Public Health
Institute
 Offices of Agriculture:
 Endamekoni (Tigray), Basona Worena (Amhara), Lemo (SNNRP) and Sinana
(Oromia)
 Private entrepreneurs: Fuji integrated farm
 NGOs: GRAD, Hundie, SOS Sahel, Sunarma
 Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)
 Innovation laboratories: SIIL, ILSSI, PHIL, LSIL
LocalPartners (Phase 1)- Ethiopia

Scaling Development Partners in the Different Sites/Regions
(Phase II)- Examples
InterAide France SNNPR, Lemo NGO
Send-a-Cow SNNPR, Lemo NGO
Ethiopian Catholic Church SNNPR, Lemo NGO
Hundie Addis Ababa NGO
World Vision SNNPR/Lemo NGO
Woreda, zonal and regional livestock and
fishery development offices, and
agriculture and natural resources
development offices
SNNPR, Amhara, Oromia and
Tigray/Lemo, Basona, Sinana,
Endamehoni
GOs
GRAD/REST Tigray/ Endamehoni NGO
Raya, Dashen and Habesha Breweries Tigray/ Endamehoni and Amhara/
Debre Birhan
PLC
Oromia Seed Enterprise Oromia/Sinana GO
Madda Walabu, Wachemo, Debere
Birhan, Mekele, Hawassa Universities
SNNPR, Amhara, Oromia and Tigray GOV
Saint Mary and Michew ATEVT collages Tigray/Endamehoni GOs
Regional and Federal Research centers SNNPR, Amhara, Oromia and
Tigray/Lemo, Basona, Sinnan,
Endamehoni
GOs

Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
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