Path-to-Scale Research Program - Identifying Evidence-Based Approaches - 1. Producing an evidence review around a specific challenge and convening

This review serves as the basis for discussion and input from academic and practitioner experts to produce a list of priority approaches and the necessary research questions to be answered to know if and how each approach can be effectively applied at scale. [...] Case study: The PSR team conducted an evidence review of interventions to combat childhood stunting and hosted a workshop with academic and practitioner experts to assess promising evidence-based approaches (EBAs) and identify research questions to move them along a path to scale. [...] The review committee shortlisted five approaches from the nominations, which formed the nucleus of the SME PSR initiative, and chose the study titled “Boosting Small Business Growth with Mindset Training in Togo” as the recipient of IPA’s Path to Scale Award, with funding for a new evaluation of the approach in Ecuador. [...] When a new concept is evaluated for the first time and found to be effective, there may be an opportunity to test the robustness of the results in the same context but at a larger scale. [...] IPA worked with the original study authors to secure funding to evaluate the innovative home-based growth charts at a larger scale across three regions of the country in partnership with the Zambian Ministry of Health.