1. When to scale up, how to scale up?
Tara Vishwanath
Lead Economist MNSED

2. How to ensure that pilots are poised to be scaled up ….
Design phase
Is the development challenge we are trying to address in the pilot also shared by key policy makers?
Are the chosen interventions embedded in facts and understanding of local context?
Is there a commitment to “suspend” judgment on a policy change till learning from pilot is realized?

3. Delivering on evaluation
Pilots by definition need to be evaluated
Is a robust evaluation underpinning the pilot?
Is there openness to “failure” and fine-tuning?
Pilots may succeed but what about cost-benefit?
Scale up to national levels necessitates knowing the implied costs
Cost effectiveness is another matter- do we know whether amongst competing ways of achieving the same objective, there is cost effectiveness for the proposed action?

4. Mind the process that ensures scale up and sustainability
Has the pilot intervention been underpinned by robust consensus building among government and major stakeholders?
Is there realism about political and capacity constraints in design of pilot?
Winners and losers?