IFAD’s approach to scaling-up

Scaling-up the results of successful development is at the heart of what IFAD does.

IFAD defines scaling-up as “expanding, adapting and supporting successful policies, programmes and knowledge so that they can leverage resources and partners to deliver larger results for a greater number of rural poor in a sustainable way.”

Scaling-up does not mean transforming small projects into larger projects. Instead, IFAD interventions focus on how successful local initiatives will sustainably leverage policy changes, additional resources and learning to bring the results to scale.

A key aspect of this approach is building the capacity of local stakeholders – notably organizations of poor rural women and men – so they can draw in partners and resources, and engage in policy dialogue.

Our partners

IFAD is one of the leading agencies in the cross-sectoral community of practice (CoP) on scaling-up managed by the Brookings Institution and Management Systems International. Within this group, IFAD chairs the working group on agricultural and rural development that shares knowledge through an online platform.