Why do social innovations not scale out? A case study of social innovations implemented by rural NGOs from post-socialist Poland

The article investigates the barriers that rural non-governmental organizations (NGOs) encounter when scaling local social innovations (SIs) in a post-socialist country, specifically Poland. In such countries, this sector is weaker than in the ‘old democracies’. Thus, recognizing the barriers to scaling SIs is significant given the need to implement SIs, especially in rural areas. The results of research conducted on a sample of eight rural NGOs are presented. In-depth interviews were conducted with NGO leaders, and a content analysis was performed of the organizations’ social media profiles. The research aimed to answer the following questions: What kinds of barriers do rural NGOs face in scaling local SIs? Are these barriers related to how these practices are implemented, or to the network of relationships (or lack thereof) between the NGOs implementing them and other entities? The analysis demonstrates that: (1) NGOs do not constantly monitor and evaluate the implementation of SIs, nor do they spread information about them. (2) Rural NGO networks limit scaling out and scaling up their SIs. The article highlights the importance of the cultural context for scaling SIs and the need to support long-term activities of NGOs to implement and scale SIs.