Towards a structured approach to support responsible scaling of innovations in the context of agrifood systems
This booklet (PDF) by the Centre of Development Innovation (CDI) is part of a series of legacy products of the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics). It structures key findings from earlier research towards an approach that connects a theory of change perspective specifically to the question of ‘how scaling happens’. By doing so, it offers a way of thinking systemically and systematically about how scaling happens and could happen in the context of agrifood systems. Over the years, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) became so important that M&E experts were trained to support related processes. Scaling processes are both considered extremely important in the context of agrifood system innovation and relate to a multifaceted picture of dimensions and dynamics. This guidance document is a first attempt to apply theory-of-change thinking to the specific conditions and processes involved in scaling. The purpose is to provide a structured approach to enriching perspectives on what scaling initiatives need to take into account in order to support effective and responsible scaling of innovations. This is done with a particular eye on conditions relating to agrifood systems, although it may be applied more widely. This booklet may provide initial ideas on how to strengthen capacity in this field through a curriculum along the lines of a Theory of Scaling.