Framework for setting up a scaling strategy

In order to succesfully scale up, a scaling strategy has to be developed. NESTA has identified four (interrelated) stages in the process, which are presented as questions that an organisation could ask itself.

1.  What are your goals for scaling?

Scaling often starts with a single project, service or product. Setting clear goals is important here, as there are many opportunities that could arise in the process of scaling.  Since these could lead to very different outcomes, decisions will have to be made which to pursue and which not. A good way to focus is developing a theory of change, which can specify long-term goals, intermediate outcomes and assumptions how to achieve them. In addition, determining the number of people who might benefit from the innovation and to what extent this is feasible, can also help in setting goals.

Reflecting on personal skills and ambitions can also be useful in this stage, as the development and scaling up of social innovation might require skills that founders of initiatives do not necessarily have. For example, managing people, delegating tasks, long-term thinking or handling the higher complexities in marketing, finance or logistics.

2. What are you going to scale up?

Considering how the innovation is perceived through the lens of supply and demand can help to determine what to scale up. Upscaling will only be successful if the innovation is better than its alternatives on several key points and that people, are willing to spend money on it, whether these are consumers, public organisations or funders. When there is a high demand, then social innovators should focus on 'riding the wave', whereas when demand is little, they should instead prioritise advocacy.

When scaling up, most social innovations need some form of refining. Framing a social innovation for growth or replication is the first step. However, it is not always straightforward, as there are different ways in which this could be achieved. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what are the elements that are fundamental in the innovation in order for it to work in the real world and achieve (social) impact, the so-called 'core' of the innovation. For example, in order to guide a neighbourhood to carbon neutrality, it is essential to identify the local gatekeepers and frontrunners, who can then create support in the rest of the neighbourhood. Identifying the core of the innovation helps  innovators to make strategic choices, keep focused and decide which parts of the innovation can be adapted for local contexts. It also makes it easier to transfer knowledge and determine which costs are not essential for scaling.

Contextual factors also can influence scaling. For example, it might be worthwhile exploring to what extent a social innovation improves ways of doing within an existing context (sustaining) or invents new ways of doing which can challenge the existing context (disrupting). The latter is signifantly more difficult to scale, as it involves changing attitudes, habits, power relations and institutional interests. In contrast, innovations which fit well within the existing context (systems and structures) are much easier to scale.

3. What route to scale are you going to take?

NESTA suggests four routes or common models that can be used to scale up, which can be pursued simultaneously and/or overlap:

1. Influence and advise

This route appears to be most suitable for social innovations which have principles or make use of methods that could be applied in different contexts, particularly when they originate from concepts which could be further explored. It is characterised by its lack of a formal connection between the innovator and their audience, which makes it impossible to control how the innovation is actually being implemented. However, it can reach a broad audience and can be suitable for disruptive social innovations.

2. Build a delivery network

In order to spread their service or programme, innovators often make use of a delivery network of organisations which can take up their practices. These can resemble social movements or can be more focused on the replication of specific practices. Innovators that follow the social movement route often try to instil a feeling of shared direction and purpose, while at the same time maintaining the spirit of the original concept. Examples of these types of networks are federations and communities of practice.

In contrast, in delivery networks that focus on replication, the central organisation still maintains control on the spreading of the original concept, with the network members having some influence on the eventual implementation. Examples are social franchising and formal collaborations.

3. Form strategic partnerships

Scaling can be accelerated by strategically partnering with another organisation, as it makes it possible to access to new technologies, skills and capabilities which were not present in the original organisation or would have taken long to develop. Examples include partnering with, or being taken over by, public sector organisations (integration) or large private corporations. Other types of partnerships include 'bees and trees', where social innovators (the bees) pollinate the larger established organisations (the trees). In this way, the innovators, who have innovations and ideas, supply the organisations, who have the resources and reach.

4. Grow an organisation to deliver

Scaling up a social innovation by growing the organisation that is behind it often seems the most logical approach, allowing the largest amount of control over the spreading of the innovation. It might be the most suitable way to scale for innovations whose core is based on the knowledge of particular individuals or innovations are difficult to replicate, due to the large amount of knowledge transfer that would be required.  This route is also used for social innovations that use products sold directly to consumers. If the central organisation is large enough already, the innovation can be scaled through its existing channels and resources. However, for most (small) social innovators, this would pose several challenges in terms of management, as it would mean building their organisation up or diversifying its activities.

4. How will you gear up to scale?

A common challenge for innovators is to manage the transition from a startup to a larger organisation. Many of the issues were related to human resources, such as having to shift from all employees doing everything to having specialised roles within the organisation with clear hierarchies, which called for a change in how to recruit new personnel.

Similarly, there might be changes in terms of accountability, as a larger organisation might have funders or investors, which might exert their influence, making strong governance essential. A growing organisation might also mean that not all employees might understand or subscribe to the organisation's goals and activities, which makes it necessary to explicitly communicate the organisational culture and value to all employees.

Scaling an organisation also requires different skills for its leaders, such as operational management, the ability to delegate and managing organisational change.