Self-spreading and self-improving: a strategy for scaling up?

This paper was prepared for the Workshop on Scaling-Up NGO Impact, held at the University of Manchester, UK, 1992. Four main strategies for scaling-up or having a wider impact are assumed: working with government; operational expansion; lobbying and advocacy; and supporting community level initiatives. This paper investigates whether there is a fifth strategy, self-spreading and self-improvement, for scaling up impact. The core of the paper, and the example on which this speculation based, is experiences with rapid rural appraisal (RRA) and participatory rural appraisal (PRA). Questions are raised concerning the further spread and improvement of these approaches and their methods. The wider issue being whether this is an example of a type of strategy through which NGOs can scale up their beneficial impact. The paper concludes with an analysis of ideas, approaches, methods and people: whether they are self-spreading and self-improving or if they need constant maintenance; and if self-spreading and self-improving strategies should be actively pursued by NGOs. It points to methodological innovation, sharing innovation and staff development as some of the elements in this strategy, and reflects on the potential for different types of organisations to be open to the approach.