Readiness for scale-up: lessons learned from the Public Health Agency of Canada's Innovation Strategy

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Promotion
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• The Public Health Agency of Canada Innovation Strategy (PHAC-IS) funded population health interventions from 2009-2020.
• PHAC-IS integrated scale-up strategies to enhance intervention reach and long-term impact.
• Effective scale-up requires social innovation and adaptive management cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and implement a Scale-up Readiness Assessment Tool (SRAT).
• To assess the readiness of funded projects for scaling up population health interventions.
• To identify key characteristics indicative of scale-up success.

Main Methods:

• The Scale-up Readiness Assessment Tool (SRAT) was developed.
• SRAT identified eight key characteristics for scale-up readiness: intervention evidence, reach, organizational capacity, partnerships, system readiness, community context, cost, and knowledge exchange.
• SRAT was applied as part of a phased funding and review framework.

Main Results:

• The SRAT was developed and applied to assess scale-up readiness.
• Eight domains were identified as crucial for successful intervention scale-up.
• The tool provided insights for funding and community organizations regarding scale-up potential.

Conclusions:

• The SRAT is a valuable component of a framework for assessing and supporting the scale-up of population health interventions.
• The identified characteristics offer guidance for optimizing intervention scale-up.
• The SRAT can inform funding decisions and aid organizations in self-assessment for scaling initiatives.