Innovation for Development: Why Are We not Getting to Scale?

Development depends on innovation. New ideas, new funding mechanisms and new technologies save and improve lives, from vaccines to solar lamps to Development Impact Bonds. But even if innovations reach a million people, they still fall short of the billion who live in poverty. 

 

How do we know when an innovation is ready to scale and how do we scale to the size of the problem? How do we make innovative solutions financially sustainable? How do we roll-out a successful idea across countries when no two countries’ conditions are the same? What is the role of aid agencies and governments in innovating to scale?