Replication and Scaling Up: Where to from Here? - Combating Desertification in Asia, Africa and the Middle East - page 432

An overriding concern in pursuing each step is to do so in ways that enhance
stakeholders' readiness, especially motivational readiness. A particularly persistent
problem in this respect is the fact that stakeholders come and go.
Major systemic changes are not easily accomplished. Awareness of the myr-
iad political and bureaucratic difficulties involved in making major institutional
changes, especially with limited financial resources, leads to the caution that the
type of approach described is not a straight-forward sequential process. Rather, the
work proceeds and changes emerge in overlapping and spiraling ways.
When a broad range of stakeholders are motivated to work together, they come
up with more creative and effective strategies than any manual can prescribe. Thus,
while concepts and procedures are invaluable motivationally ready and able to
proceed is the first and foremost consideration. The necessary motivation comes
from the desire to achieve better outcomes; it comes from hope and optimism about
a vision for what is possible; it comes from the realization that working together
is essential in accomplishing the vision; it comes from the realization that working
together effectively requires systemic changes that ensure each partner's assets and
contributions are valued.
Because substantive change requires stakeholder readiness, if this is so then, it is
a matter of carrying out plans with full appreciation of the complex dynamics that
arise whenever complex systems undergo change.
As a part of the strategy for creating synergy and dissemination of technologies
there is a need to set up replication funds, which focus on institutional methods
of learning. The purpose of such a fund would be an encouragement of successful
innovations spearheaded by successful NGOs and CBOs who are already partners
by supporting the adaptation of their proven solutions to different contexts. This
replication could provide the transferability and scalability of innovative approaches
spawned by organizations working at the grassroots. This would not only help
in the process of compilation and documentation of 'proven practices' but also
support the actual replication of proven interventions by those who have already had
pragmatic results through implementation of these social innovations. In order for
replication to be successful it is necessary to establish a new model for replication
and innovation. Shift from a completely grant based approach to a community based
locally owned model, where the local community pays a part of the replication
scheme. It is also important to include the NGOs/CBOs and the villages in the
particular region to plan and manage the replication schemes. One has to take
the opportunity to go beyond grant giving, to seek ways of scaling up, replicate
successful experiences, reach out through innovative communications, and promote
advocacy strategies to influence policy on key environmental issues.
Policy-makers and donor program managers should revisit their stated intentions
to support scale-up and replication with the following points in mind.
1. Clarify program expectations for scale up and replication. Consider what,
realistically, can be achieved.
2. Offer tailored support . It may be more appropriate to focus primarily on helping
to improve the chances for success of the enterprise by providing tailored services