School of Education

As many countries strive to meet the goals of inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4), one critical challenge remains. How to scale up effective Gender Equality, Safeguarding and Inclusion (GESI) interventions so they go beyond pilot phases and become embedded in the national education system. Over the past year, our research team has been examining the factors that influence the scale-up of GESI interventions in Malawi, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

Through a mixed-methods approach where survey findings were validated in follow-up key informant interviews with NGOs, stakeholders at the national, regional, school and community level, we identified both barriers and enablers to the scale-up of GESI-focused projects. These provide a better understanding of the implementation context and offer practical lessons for other researchers, education policymakers, donors, and implementing organisations.

Why focus on scale-up?

Many interventions that promote gender-responsive pedagogy, girls’ retention in school, or inclusive learning environments show promising results during their pilot phase. But when the pilot phase ends, or external or funding support is withdrawn, the intervention often stops or disappears. This is especially true for projects that rely heavily on donor resources or are often non-aligned with national education goals and priorities, political will, context and the delivery capacity of relevant structures. Without a clear strategy for scale, many innovations fail to influence systemic change.

Despite the complex nature of scale-up, Link Education/Community Development has various examples from which a deeper understanding of how scale-up happens can be examined. The project builds on previously implemented interventions (Supporting the Transition of Adolescent Girls Through Enhancing Systems (STAGES) in Ethiopia, School Transformation through Enriching Accountability and Resilience (STEAR) in Uganda and Transformational Empowerment of Adolescent Marginalized Girls in Malawi (TEAM Girl Malawi) in Malawi) in the three countries, which aim to strengthen GESI interventions in education programming. Supported by GPE-KIX and IDRC and involving collaboration with NGOs and government stakeholders in the three countries, our project aims to understand what supports or constrains the long-term expansion and implementation of GESI approaches.

What we found:

The barriers to scale up

One of the most persistent issues is that interventions are spread too thinly, limiting the evidence needed to recommend a scale-up to a wider scope. A respondent at the Ministry of Education in Malawi, for instance, suggests that concentrating interventions in more schools within a single district may be a more effective approach to compel the government to adopt and scale up the models used. Additionally, when interventions operate in parallel to national frameworks, rather than being embedded within existing government systems like teacher training institutions, inspection frameworks, or school improvement plans, there is little incentive for the government to scale and sustain them.

Insufficient capacity at the local level is a major barrier to the effective implementation and sustainability of GESI initiatives. These include physical or material limitations, high staff turnover or transfers, a lack of inclusive teaching practices, and limited training among school leaders and community stakeholders.

Lack of adequate budget, together with weak institutional ownership, hinders scale-up efforts by the government. Many projects rely heavily on external funding without a clear strategy for financial sustainability. Even promising initiatives are difficult to scale due to the mentality of local administrative units, which often view new development projects in the education sector through the lens of 'What do we benefit?' rather than 'How do our children benefit?'. Moreover, local cultural norms and beliefs - such as the Gulewamkulu, which contributes to school dropout among boys in Malawi; early marriages among girls as reported in Uganda; and prevailing negative attitudes toward girls’ education in Ethiopia - hinder the scale-up of gender-inclusive and safe education programmes.

The enablers to scale up

Alignment with existing policy frameworks and regulations, and the involvement of relevant national-level officials, were reported to enhance project implementation. The participation and coordination with ministries, departments and other sector players at national and local levels through various working groups and committees successfully promoted the scale-up of the STEAR and STAGES projects in Uganda and Ethiopia, respectively. Partnerships with local leaders and involvement of the district education department promote ownership of interventions and eventual scale-up in Malawi and Uganda. Whilst establishing local champions and role models, such as community-based mother and father groups, was vital in Ethiopia.

Moreover, the creation of practical resources and tools, such as checklists, standardised manuals, and guidelines, as well as gender action plans and curriculum guides, was critical for project success. Scale-up should focus on data-driven and evidence-based approaches, as in the case of the STEAR project in Uganda and for the gender friendly and inclusive Complementary Basic Education (CBE) in Malawi’s TEAM Girl project.

Implications for Policy and Practice

If scale-up is to be successful, it must be designed from the start - not treated as an afterthought. Our findings highlight the need to embed scale-up strategies into the initial design of GESI interventions. This includes anticipating scale-up pathways, which our project addresses, aligning with national systems, and engaging stakeholders at all levels. Policy frameworks should recognise the role of local-level champions, districts, and communities in sustaining change. The Ministry of Education should invest in teacher and leadership development, leveraging technology for planning, delivery and monitoring. Strategies should stress the importance of upfront sensitisation to help shift negative cultural practices and mindsets, which would need to be done in partnership with the community’s cultural and religious leaders.

In particular, our project develops scaling guides, GESI training manuals, and good practice guidelines. It strengthens the capacity for school leaders, community stakeholders, and teachers to understand, apply, and support GESI principles, ensuring that they align with national policies. We actively engage the Ministry of Education, district education officers, GESI champions, and role models in the three countries. Additionally, our project is undertaking a cost-benefit analysis to provide a financial pathway for sustainable scale-up. Scale-up is not simply about expansion - it’s about lasting, systemic change. More evidence on what works in scaling up GESI innovations will be forthcoming – watch this space!        

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Harold Kuombola, Lizzie Chiwaula, Kristinn Hermannsson, Angela Keenan, Edwin Atitsogbui, Tamirat Gibon Ginja, Samuel Kandidziwa, Elisabeth Meke, Abaynew Mulat Alemu, Gerson Mutala, Ann Mwafulirwa, Innocent Ng’oma, Dorothy Nkhata, Oscar Odena, Denis Olak Ongaya & Sam Ross

First published: 5 February 2026