How do you scale and sustain your programs to match your organization's goals?

1 Assess your readiness

Before you decide to scale or sustain your programs, you need to assess your readiness and capacity. You need to ask yourself some questions, such as: What is the demand and need for your programs? What are the opportunities and risks of scaling or sustaining them? What are your strengths and weaknesses as an organization? How do you measure your outcomes and impact? How do you communicate your value proposition and story? How do you engage your stakeholders and partners? By answering these questions, you can identify your gaps and priorities, and plan your scaling or sustaining strategy accordingly.

2 Define your goals and objectives

Once you have assessed your readiness, you need to define your goals and objectives for scaling or sustaining your programs. You need to be clear about what you want to achieve, why, how, and by when. You need to align your goals and objectives with your mission and vision, and make sure they are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. You also need to consider your resources, budget, and timeline, and how they will affect your scaling or sustaining process. By defining your goals and objectives, you can set your direction and focus, and monitor your progress and results.

3 Choose your scaling or sustaining model

When it comes to scaling or sustaining your programs, there are different approaches you can take, depending on your goals, objectives, context, and resources. For example, you could choose to replicate your programs to new locations, populations, or sectors while preserving the same core elements and standards. Alternatively, you could opt for adaptation by modifying your programs to fit different contexts, needs, or preferences while keeping the same core principles and outcomes. You could also integrate your programs into existing systems, structures, or policies to increase their reach and sustainability. Collaboration is another option – partnering with other organizations, networks, or platforms to share resources, knowledge, or expertise and leverage their strengths and capacities. Ultimately, you need to select the scaling or sustaining model that best suits your situation and goals so that you can deliver your programs effectively and efficiently.

4 Implement and evaluate your scaling or sustaining strategy

After you have chosen your scaling or sustaining model, you need to implement and evaluate your scaling or sustaining strategy. You need to plan your activities, tasks, roles, and responsibilities, and assign them to your team members and partners. You need to establish clear communication channels, feedback mechanisms, and reporting systems, to ensure coordination and accountability. You also need to collect data, evidence, and stories, to measure your outputs, outcomes, and impact, and to learn from your successes and challenges. You need to use your findings and insights, to improve your programs, adjust your strategy, and celebrate your achievements.

5 Build your capacity and culture

Scaling and sustaining your programs is not only about expanding or maintaining your activities, but also about building your capacity and culture as an organization. You need to invest in your human, financial, and technical resources, and develop your skills, knowledge, and systems. You need to foster a culture of innovation, learning, and collaboration, and encourage your team members and partners to share their ideas, experiences, and feedback. You also need to nurture your relationships with your beneficiaries, donors, supporters, and allies, and appreciate their contributions and trust. By building your capacity and culture, you can enhance your performance, resilience, and reputation.

6 Share your impact and story

Finally, you need to share your impact and story with your internal and external audiences, to showcase your results, value, and vision. You need to use different channels, formats, and languages, to reach and engage your target groups, such as reports, newsletters, social media, webinars, or events. You need to highlight your achievements, challenges, and learnings, and demonstrate how your programs have made a difference in the lives of your beneficiaries and communities. You also need to tell your story, and convey your passion, purpose, and personality, to inspire and connect with your audiences. By sharing your impact and story, you can increase your visibility, credibility, and influence.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?