The 2020 scalingXchange: building a field from the Global South

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) online scalingXchange 2020 brought together Southern innovators to exchange learning and experience on efforts to scale impact for the public good. Scaling advisors reflected on each of IDRC’s guiding principles for scaling impact –... Read full article

Scaling is a choice that must be justified based on a balance of technical evidence and values. And that choice to scale must be shared. An introduction to Guiding principle 1: Justification Every cycle was launched with a set of guiding questions for the scaling advisors to address in... Read full article

Optimal scale challenges the "bigger is better" scaling model.  Scaling produces a collection of impacts and to determine optimal scale, we have to consider the trade-offs between different types of impact. An introduction to Guiding principle 2: optimal scale Guiding questions How... Read full article

Scaling takes place in complex systems and involves coordinating with a diverse and evolving set of stakeholders. Considering the people, places and things that affect or are affected by the scaling process helps us to understand this complex system and plan for optimal impact.  An... Read full article

Scaling creates dynamic change that calls for dynamic evaluation – continuous learning before, during and after scaling. Dynamic evaluation helps us to apply the other three principles by understanding when scaling is justified, what is the optimal scale, and how to coordinate. An... Read full article

The final session offered the chance to explore remaining questions by IDRC. Guiding questions What were some good practices that emerged to support integration of the principles of scaling for impact into research? What were some key challenges to doing so? Are there any critical... Read full article