Making the best of going to scale

Discusses some of the problems and opportunities presented by the increasing use of PRA on a large scale. Numerous examples are given of countries and organisations where PRA is being used on a large scale, and the trend looks set to continue. This presents dilemmas, particularly in the realm of quality assurance. Some of the shortcomings of scaling-up are discussed and suggestions are made of ways these can be overcome. The author presents his personal view of the options and the way ahead. He argues that "the benefits to poor people can be greater from doing less well on a wide scale than from doing better on a small scale". There may also be "benign viruses" in PRA which can gain a foothold in large organisations and then start to spread. The paper concludes by suggesting a programme of action for individuals and organisations in going to scale.