Governments and development partners are looking for ways to  scale up development initiatives in an effort to fight  rural poverty and to achieve the MDG targets. To fulfil this goal, there is a need to have  a common understanding of related concepts, issues,  vision, drivers, spaces and agree on actions for follow up.

It is against this background that on 26-27 October 2011 IFAD hosted a Joint learning and partnership building events on scaling up the fight against rural poverty. This two day event brough together representatives of IFAD membership, like-minded partners from the public and private sector, including multilateral/bilateral agencies, CGIAR , global/regional research networks, private foundations, NGOs, farmer organisations and private sector. The event gave participants an opportunity to attend a series of learning and partnership building activities, provided an opportunity to promote the community of practice for Scaling Up in ARD, to identify options for enhancing collaboration at country and/or region level, as well as in the international policy arena.

In 2010, Brookings Institute conducted  an institutional review of IFAD’s approach to scaling-up. This review, includes selected country case studies and  thematic assessments as well as a review –with a scaling up lens- of IFAD’s strategic framework and operational policies.  Based on the review’s findings and recommendations, IFAD is currently making some  adjustments with regard to its analytical framework of scaling-up, its operational practice and management, and its relevant instruments, knowledge, resources and incentives. Practical examples of progress being made in IFAD scaling up agenda include the development of knowledge products, guidance tools for programme design and country level engagement, mutual peer reviews and joint learning, partnership building and outreach.