Replication and Scaling Up: Where to from Here? - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 427

1 Introduction

The concepts of “ replication ”, and “ scaling - up ” are being increasingly promoted as
important elements of efforts to combat desertification and arrest and reverse land
degradation by donors, governments, and non-governmental and community orga-
nizations. Interpretation of the meaning of these concepts is often blurred however,
by inconsistent application of their use in the literature. The consistent failure to
sustain impetus after the demonstration/project/pilot study has ended, has increased
interest in understanding how to institutionalize and diffuse effective innovations.
The process of large-scale replication often is called diffusion, replication, roll out,
going-to scale, or scale-up. The terms can be used interchangeably. Experience in
these matters has evolved over many years of implementing demonstrations and
working to replicate innovations on a large scale. UN Agencies such as the IFAD,
UNEP, UNDP and a number of NGOs have distilled their experience into a number
of documents. Lessons learned have been enumerated and guidelines for success
have been formulated.

1.1 Scaling-Up and Replication

The terms replication and scale up tend to be used in tandem but the concepts are
somewhat different. Replication (sometimes called “scale out”) refers to the transfer
to a different location of a tested concept, a pilot project, and so forth, in order to
repeat success elsewhere. Scale-up usually refers to taking a tested concept, pilot
project, initiative, and expanding it, in terms of people served, revenues generated,
or other similar targets. The use of the terms “ Replication ”, and “ Scaling - up ”are
often overlapping and used interchangeably with one another to describe similar
activities.
To replicate or scale up a program or a successful proven practice is to
significantly increase its impact in size, amount or extent. Scaling an impact can
occur in many ways, encouraging widespread adoption of the model by others
or creating strategic partnerships that enable greater reach. It may also involve
strengthening an organization's own capacity (capacity building).

1.2 Taxonomy of Processes

Gillespie ( 2004 ) provides one of the more comprehensive taxonomies of scaling
up processes to achieve significant development at the local/community level.
Gillespie's ideas are elaborated in Table 21.1 . He recognizes four main categories:

• Quantitative , where a program expands in size, geographical base, or budget;

• Functional , involving increases in the types of activities and integration with

other programs;