Scaling Up Impact on Nutrition: What Will It Take?

This review draws on a large scaling-up literature search and 4 case studies of large-scale nutrition programmes

Abstract

Despite consensus on actions to improve nutrition globally, less is known about how to operationalize the right mix of actions - nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive - equitably, at scale, in different contexts. This review draws on a large scaling-up literature search and 4 case studies of large-scale nutrition programs with proven impact to synthesize critical elements for impact at scale. 9 elements emerged as central:

  1. having a clear vision or goal for impact;
  2. intervention characteristics;
  3. an enabling organizational context for scaling up;
  4. establishing drivers such as catalysts, champions, system-wide ownership, and incentives;
  5. choosing contextually relevant strategies and pathways for scaling up,
  6. building operational and strategic capacities;
  7. ensuring adequacy, stability, and flexibility of financing;
  8. ensuring adequate governance structures and systems;
  9. embedding mechanisms for monitoring, learning, and accountability.

Translating current political commitment to large-scale impact on nutrition will require robust attention to these elements. There is a brief on this research

This research is supported by the Department for International Development’s Transform Nutrition Programme which is led by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Citation

Gillespie, S.; Menon, P.; Kennedy, A.L. Scaling Up Impact on Nutrition: What Will It Take? Advances in Nutrition (2015) 6: 440-451.

Scaling Up Impact on Nutrition: What Will It Take?

Updates to this page

Published 1 January 2015