Scaling and systems change in international education development: perspectives of funders and implementers (Part 2)

Group Submission Type: Formal Panel Session

Proposal

Scaling and systems change have been widely discussed in the international development field in recent years (Kohl, 2022). Systems change proponents argue that scaling approaches, especially those that focus on replicating and expanding the use of innovations, do not adequately address systems change. These scaling approaches neglect to pay sufficient attention to systems and their larger transformation—the modification of structural conditions, teaching and learning practices, and social relations—to ensure the sustained impact of implemented innovations (Sabelli & Harris, 2015). Further, systems change proponents contend that the focus should be on transforming systems to address existing challenges, rather than just scaling a specific innovation. They believe that scaling innovations can be part of a broader set of solutions (Kohl, 2022) and that the starting point should be systems change rather than scaling innovations. However, opponents of this approach believe that pursuing transformative systems change as part of scaling is not always realistic, especially in the context of short-term project grants, systems constraints, and political economy dynamics. Yet, they believe that scaling efforts can contribute to systems change, especially if scaling takes a systems perspective into account, is carried out effectively, and pays attention to the impact sustainability of an innovation (Kohl, 2021). Others also argue that rather than talking about scaling versus systems change, one should focus on whether and how scaling and systems change can complement each other as they share a common goal of facilitating lasting large-scale changes. For them, question is how and to what extent scaling efforts should take systems into account (Kohl, 2021; Kohl, 2022).

While these debates are valuable for our conceptual understanding of potential complementarities between scaling and systems change, we lack an understanding of how they play out in practice in the field of education development. This is especially true when considering the perspectives of funders who support scaling research and are committed to systems change, as well as those of implementers who conduct this research and try to approach it from a systems perspective. Emerging research on the topic notes that a systems lens can help to scale innovations more effectively. This involves paying attention to the political, cultural, and institutional aspects of the system in which an innovation will be situated; designing an innovation with the system architecture in mind from the outset, since the design and context of the architecture can enable or impede scaling; cultivating scaling champions and collaborative partnerships to create a sense of agency and ownership of change, and, lastly, working on changing behavioural norms and institutionalized attitudes to ensure the uptake and sustainability of an innovation (Gibbs et al., 2020). Research also notes that undertaking scaling from a systems perspective requires the use of new methodologies and tools, especially qualitative ones, not traditionally used in the scaling field and going beyond its heavy reliance on randomized control trials that do not capture the messiness and complexity of systems (Sutoris, 2018). While this emerging research is useful and points to how scaling can benefit from a systems perspective, there is a need for a deeper, practical understanding of how to integrate scaling with systems change

This two-part panel will address these issues from the perspectives of donors and implementers. The ‘funder’ panel will focus on how funders of scaling research and innovation scaling integrate a systems perspective into their programs, what successes and challenges they face in doing so, and the recommendations they have for implementers and other funders. The ‘funder’ panel will include representatives from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Co-Impact, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The ‘implementer’ panel will focus on whether and how researchers and implementers consider a systems perspective in their scaling work, what factors enable or impede them in doing so, and the recommendations they have for other researchers, implementers, and funders. The ‘implementer’ panel will include representatives from Teaching at the Right Level Africa, Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED), Associates in Research and Education for Development (ARED), and Public Health Informatics of the University of Oslo. By bringing together the perspectives of funders and implementers, the two-part panel aims to shed light on the connection between scaling and systems change and to provide practical insights on how to effectively integrate the two.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Florencio Ceballos, IDRC

Individual Presentations

• Getting the basics right: Integrating Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach into education systems in Zambia and Cote d’Ivoire - Ashleigh Gillwald Morrell, TaRL Africa

• An entry point to system transformation: the role of a systems perspective in scaling a youth-led life skills and mentorship program - Jeffrey Nyandoro, Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED)

• Scaling educational innovation: strategies for developing institutional collaboration in Senegal - Mamadou Ly, Associates in Research and Education for Development

• Long-term adaptive approach to scaling digitalization - Knut Staring, University of Oslo

Discussant

• Brad Olsen, The Brookings Institution