Working across scales: Learning from seven years of climate compatible development in Asia

The report analyzes ten CDKN initiatives in India, Indonesia, Nepal, and Pakistan to identify effective design pathways for scaling climate compatible development. It distinguishes between research-led, hybrid, and action-led pathways, concluding that longer-term, action-oriented approaches are most successful in embedding new practices across local, provincial, and national scales. The authors propose several design principles, including early action, adaptive management, and strategic knowledge brokering, to navigate the complex multi-level governance required for climate resilience and low-carbon transitions.

• The report identifies three types of design pathways for working with scale: short-term research-led pathways that build awareness but fail to embed practice; short-term hybrid action-research pathways that embed practice at some scales (usually local); and longer-term action research-led pathways that successfully embed new practices at multiple scales.
• Action-led approaches are more effective than traditional linear research for changing practice. Initiatives that started with action research and were extended based on early successes led to changes at multiple levels of governance, whereas purely research-led projects often failed to translate findings into institutional practice.
• Successful scaling often requires extended timescales, typically at least three years, though these should be managed through a phased, experimental approach rather than being designed as a long-term commitment from the start.
• Effective multi-scale implementation relies on 'knowledge brokering' to bridge the gap between technical data and the needs of diverse stakeholders, including translating complex discourse into accessible language and facilitating participatory dialogues.
• The report highlights the importance of 'scaling up' (creating policy and institutional frameworks) and 'scaling out' (applying pilot insights to other localities) to ensure local innovations have a broader impact.
• Flexible and adaptive management, including the use of 'shared learning dialogues', allows projects to respond to emergent opportunities and correct course when academic expertise fails to translate into policy.
• Project start conditions are often driven by 'trigger events' such as climate shocks (floods, heat waves) or gradual stresses (electricity shortages), which can create immediate political will and demand for intervention.

APA

Colvin, J., & McDonagh, C. (2017). Working across scales: Learning from seven years of climate compatible development in Asia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Seven-years-of-learning-in-Asia-WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Colvin, John, and Christina McDonagh. Working across scales: Learning from seven years of climate compatible development in Asia. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2017. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Seven-years-of-learning-in-Asia-WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Colvin |first1=John |last2=McDonagh |first2=Christina |title=Working across scales: Learning from seven years of climate compatible development in Asia |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=September 2017 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Seven-years-of-learning-in-Asia-WEB-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{colvin2017working, author = {Colvin, John and McDonagh, Christina}, title = {{Working across scales: Learning from seven years of climate compatible development in Asia}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2017}, month = sep, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Seven-years-of-learning-in-Asia-WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }