' Scaling-up' in emergencies : British NGOs after Hurricane Mitch

ABSTRACT

This article examines research on NGO 'scaling-up' in a disaster context and links it to a broader discussion on whether scaling-up is a useful concept for understanding NGO processes in an emergency. Using concepts of scaling-up from development literature, research findings from a study of the responses of British NGOs to Hurricane Mitch in Central America are presented. The article assesses the extent and type of scaling-up on support to partners. Broader issues relating to scaling-up is useful, the tendency for its use to refer to organisatinal growth has limited a wider understanding and evaluation of the role of Northern NGOs in humanitarian crises. (AU)