Can This Scale?

A scaling readiness check. Is this innovation ready to expand, and if not, what has to be fixed first? It takes about three minutes and follows the checks on the Plan for Scale page.

Reach is not scale. Scale means farmers keep using the innovation, and that local systems keep supporting them after the project ends. Readiness depends on your weakest area, not the average.

Use this after a pilot, or before planning an expansion. To decide whether an innovation is sound in the first place, use Should I Recommend This? first.

A saved draft was restored. Start fresh instead

What are you thinking of scaling?

Innovation, and for whom

1. Does it work, and does it pay?

This is the entry condition. “Partly” means the evidence comes from elsewhere, or from only one season. Choose “Not sure” whenever you don’t know. An honest gap is more useful than a guess.

2. Will farmers adopt it?

Answer for typical farmers in the target group, not the keenest ones.

3. Can the surrounding system support it?

Can farmers get what they need without the project supplying it?

4. Is there a realistic delivery pathway?

Someone has to provide the advice, products, services and follow-up, and keep doing it after the project ends. Help choosing channels: How Should I Reach Farmers?

Who will deliver or support it? Tick all that apply

Government extension CAHWs or other community-based providers Private businesses (input suppliers, agrovets, vets) Development NGOs or projects Farmer organizations or cooperatives Digital channels (radio, SMS, IVR, apps)

5. Who owns and drives it?

Delivery alone is not enough. Scaling also needs an organization that takes responsibility, and a named person or team who keeps it moving. There does not have to be one central body in charge, but responsibility cannot stay vague.

Who is driving it now? Choose the main one

A government body (bureau, department, research organization) A farmer organization or cooperative A private business with a commercial reason to continue A project or NGO team with an end date Nobody yet — no one has taken this on Not sure

Name the person or team driving it. If you can’t write a name, that is the gap — leave it blank.

6. Scale progressively

Farmers rarely adopt a whole package at once. They add practices step by step, as needs and resources allow.

Is it a single practice or product, or a package?

Single Package

7. What has the pilot shown?

Record what you actually know, not what you expect.

How far has it got? Choose the furthest stage reached

Not yet tested with farmers Reach — farmers have heard about it Trial — farmers have tried it Adoption — farmers keep using it in later seasons Scale — use is spreading through local systems without project support Not sure — we don’t know whether farmers are still using it

Check readiness Reset

Readiness

Build an action list Change answers

8. Who will close each gap?

For each gap, name who will fix it and who pays. Anything left blank shows as “to be defined” in the summary. A gap you can see is more useful than one you have hidden.

Generate summary

Scaling readiness summary

Print / save Copy summary Edit

A planning aid, not a substitute for field judgement. Check again after each phase of expansion.

---

Was this tool useful?

Your feedback helps us improve AgExtOnline tools.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

1 = Not useful   ·   3 = Somewhat useful   ·   5 = Very useful

Any brief suggestions? (optional)

0/300

Submit feedback

Please do not include personal or confidential information.

Thank you. Your feedback helps us improve the tool.

Developed by Mark Bell and David Bunn (2026)