Scaling
Scaling: From a Good Idea to Sustained Use
Proving an innovation works is only the start.
Scaling means moving it from promise to sustained use by many farmers under real conditions.
Local systems must support that use so it continues after the project ends.
Reach is not scale
First, check that the innovation works and pays under local conditions - see Should I Recommend This Tool?
Conditions to Check
Check the four things below, or go straight to the Can this Scale Tool
1. Will farmers adopt it?
2. Can the surrounding system support it?
3. Is there a realistic delivery pathway?
4. Who owns and drives the scaling?
1. Will farmers adopt it?
Farmers are more likely to adopt when:
Ask: Why would a farmer adopt this? Why might they not?
Also ask: Who might be left out because of cost, access, gender, location, farm size, or other barriers — and is there a cheaper or simpler version that would include them? An innovation only better-off farmers can take up will spread, but not far.
2. Can the surrounding system support it?
A good innovation can still fail if farmers can't get what they need. Check access to:
Ask: What else has to work for this to succeed, and which gaps must be fixed first?
3. Is there a realistic delivery pathway?
Someone has to provide the advice, products, services, and follow-up. Find out who farmers already trust, and who will demonstrate, supply, and support the innovation.
Scaling may involve:
See How Should I Reach Farmers?
For each important actor, check not only whether they can perform the role, but why they would want to keep doing it. Scaling depends on incentives as well as capacity.
Ask: Who needs to do what, who pays, and why would they continue doing it after project support ends?
4. Who owns and drives the scaling?
Delivery alone is not enough. Successful scaling also needs institutional responsibility and active leadership.
Identify three things:
There does not always need to be one central organization controlling everything. Scaling may be public-led, private-led or jointly led, depending on the innovation. But responsibility cannot remain vague.
The project may initially provide coordination and momentum, but those functions need to become embedded in organizations that will remain after the project ends.
Ask: Who is responsible for scale, and who is driving it now? If the project closed next month, who would still be pushing this?
How to go about it
Scale progressively
Farmers rarely adopt a whole package at once. They add practices step by step, as their needs, resources, and priorities allow. Treat a package as a roadmap of options, and start with the biggest practical opportunity.
Avoid the pilot trap:
A successful pilot does not prove that something will scale: Pilots often have extra resources and support that will not exist at scale, so test the delivery system as well as the technology.
Learn and adapt as you expand
A pilot should test more than the technology. It should also answer these questions:
Keep collecting feedback from farmers, intermediaries, and other partners as scaling progresses. Conditions change, and problems emerge at scale that may not appear during a pilot. Adapt the innovation and delivery approach as you learn.
Scaling usually takes years, not one project cycle.
Quick scaling check
Does it work and pay? → Will farmers adopt it? → Can the system support it? → Who will deliver it? → Who owns and drives it? → What did the pilot teach us?
→ Try the Can this Scale Tool
Proving an innovation works is only the start.
Scaling means moving it from promise to sustained use by many farmers under real conditions.
Local systems must support that use so it continues after the project ends.
Reach is not scale
- Reach: farmers have heard about it.
- Trial: farmers have tried it.
- Adoption: farmers keep using it in later seasons.
- Scale: adoption keeps spreading and continues through local systems, without ongoing project support.
First, check that the innovation works and pays under local conditions - see Should I Recommend This Tool?
Conditions to Check
Check the four things below, or go straight to the Can this Scale Tool
1. Will farmers adopt it?
2. Can the surrounding system support it?
3. Is there a realistic delivery pathway?
4. Who owns and drives the scaling?
1. Will farmers adopt it?
Farmers are more likely to adopt when:
- they are aware of a promising option
- the problem matters to them;
- the benefit is clear enough to justify the cost and risk (importantly, markets exist);
- they can easily try it on a small scale, learn how to use it, and access the knowledge and inputs needed;
- they can see it working, on a demonstration or a neighbor's farm; and
- it fits their farming system, labor, and cash flow.
Ask: Why would a farmer adopt this? Why might they not?
Also ask: Who might be left out because of cost, access, gender, location, farm size, or other barriers — and is there a cheaper or simpler version that would include them? An innovation only better-off farmers can take up will spread, but not far.
2. Can the surrounding system support it?
A good innovation can still fail if farmers can't get what they need. Check access to:
- quality inputs and equipment;
- finance and markets;
- trained advisers, service providers and organizations with the capacity to support correct and continued use;
- infrastructure; and
- supportive policies and regulations.
Ask: What else has to work for this to succeed, and which gaps must be fixed first?
3. Is there a realistic delivery pathway?
Someone has to provide the advice, products, services, and follow-up. Find out who farmers already trust, and who will demonstrate, supply, and support the innovation.
Scaling may involve:
- Public actors such as government extension, research organizations, local government and regulators;
- Private actors such as input suppliers, agrovets, processors, buyers, service providers and financial institutions;
- Farmer and community organizations such as cooperatives, producer groups and CAHWs; and
- NGOs and development partners, particularly during testing, capacity building and early expansion.
See How Should I Reach Farmers?
For each important actor, check not only whether they can perform the role, but why they would want to keep doing it. Scaling depends on incentives as well as capacity.
Ask: Who needs to do what, who pays, and why would they continue doing it after project support ends?
4. Who owns and drives the scaling?
Delivery alone is not enough. Successful scaling also needs institutional responsibility and active leadership.
Identify three things:
- Institutional responsibility: Which local organization or organizations have the mandate, incentive, and capacity to take responsibility for sustained use and further scaling?
- Scaling driver: Who is the named person or small team responsible for keeping the process moving, bringing actors together, solving bottlenecks, securing decisions and resources, monitoring progress, and adapting the approach — and whose organization treats this as part of their job rather than an extra?
- Coordination: Where several public and private actors are needed, who will make sure their roles fit together and important gaps do not fall between them?
There does not always need to be one central organization controlling everything. Scaling may be public-led, private-led or jointly led, depending on the innovation. But responsibility cannot remain vague.
The project may initially provide coordination and momentum, but those functions need to become embedded in organizations that will remain after the project ends.
Ask: Who is responsible for scale, and who is driving it now? If the project closed next month, who would still be pushing this?
How to go about it
Scale progressively
Farmers rarely adopt a whole package at once. They add practices step by step, as their needs, resources, and priorities allow. Treat a package as a roadmap of options, and start with the biggest practical opportunity.
Avoid the pilot trap:
A successful pilot does not prove that something will scale: Pilots often have extra resources and support that will not exist at scale, so test the delivery system as well as the technology.
Learn and adapt as you expand
A pilot should test more than the technology. It should also answer these questions:
- Do farmers want it?
- What does it really cost them?
- What stops them from adopting it (knowledge? inputs? benefit?…)
- Can intermediaries deliver it?
- What needs adapting from place to place?
Keep collecting feedback from farmers, intermediaries, and other partners as scaling progresses. Conditions change, and problems emerge at scale that may not appear during a pilot. Adapt the innovation and delivery approach as you learn.
Scaling usually takes years, not one project cycle.
Quick scaling check
Does it work and pay? → Will farmers adopt it? → Can the system support it? → Who will deliver it? → Who owns and drives it? → What did the pilot teach us?
→ Try the Can this Scale Tool
