New report on Scaling Up Impact on Nutrition: What Will It Take?

In July 2015, a new report was launched by the International Food Policy Research Institute to synthesize the critical elements required to improve nutrition impact at scale. The report recognises that whilst there is global consensus on the need to improve nutrition, little is known…

August 19, 2015 - Last update: February 10, 2023

Scaling up nutrition: what will it take? from Transform Nutrition

Methods used by the researchers, Stuart Gillespie, Purnima Menon and Andrew L Kennedy, included a thorough literature review, consultation with experts, condensing of 36 theoretical frameworks and 19 programme experiences, and, in-depth case studies of four scaled-up programs.

Nine elements emerge as central to scaling up impact on nutrition:

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

The report identifies that in order to translate the current political commitment to fight malnutrition, attention will need to be focused on these nine elements.

The report is supported by the Transform Nutrition Consortium, with funding from the United Kingdom Department for International Development. The free access article, can be downloaded from Advances in Nutrition