Challenges in up-scaling good practices

Focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has intensified technical and financial support for up-scaling of interventions to improve the quality of life of over 900 million slum dwellers who lack access to adequate clean water, improved sanitation facilities, and security of tenure. One of the means for achieving the MDG Targets is to ‘up-scale’, or institutionalize effective approaches, techniques, concepts, and programmes that result in bringing more quality benefits to more urban residents more quickly and more permanently. The challenge of up-scaling is in achieving sustainable results in a large number of communities rather than in planning and implementing large projects (World Bank 2005b). It is therefore essential to determine whether there is evidence to justify support for up-scaling. [Continues.]