The first product of MaFI. A broad exploration of pro-poor market facilitation. Content: (i) Effective Facilitation and its Challenges; (ii) Facilitation of Horizontal Linkages; (iii) Strategic Use of Subsidies; (iv) Exit Strategies; (v) M&E tools; (vi) Some Resources.
‘Mapping Fair Trade Networks: Visualising the dynamics of a global movement’. The 4th Fair Trade International Symposium, Liverpool Hope Business School, (April 2012).
In Step 5: Engaging Key Actors you will find guidance about how to develop and implement a strategy of engagement to convince market actors to join the process of participatory market system development.
This step helps you to really understand the actors that you want to engage, devise ‘hooks’ based on their incentives to attract them, and find ways to keep them interested even when things are not going to plan.
Last updated: 19/09/12
Note: the results of this discussion are available at: http://www.slideshare.net/marketfacil/systemic-mand-e-synthesis-31jan2013
This is the first version of the paper that we will use to promote debate, reflection and progress around the systemic M&E initiative. The initiative’s main objective is to promote a rethink of how we measure our impacts on market systems and their evolution towards more inclusion, productivity and efficiency (i.e. how do we know that the markets systems we work with are actually going to continue reducing poverty and protecting the environment even after we have left the scene).
The paper is a live document and it is intended to evolve with the conversations that donors, academic researchers, and practitioners working in inclusive market development and finance/microfinance development. Most of these conversations will take place in MaFI, in USAID’s Microlinks (23-25 Oct, 2012) and the SEEP 2012 Annual Conference. Your comments and questions are welcome (please use the comments box here).
The systemic M&E is one of the concrete solutions proposed by the MaFI-festo (http://slidesha.re/mafifesto2) to make international development cooperation more facilitation-friendly, and therefore, more cost-effective.
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Development Sector: A Conceptual Framework Shipra Sharma
The MSP paradigm emerged in response to the failure of both the structural (that over-emphasize the role of government in facilitating development process) and the neo-classical or neo-liberal theories of development (that negate the role of the government and regard free market economy as the key to economic development) to effectively address the complexities of development.
The EMMA Toolkit provides guidance for humanitarian practitioners to conduct rapid market analyses in emergency settings. It aims to help practitioners understand critical market systems and incorporate market-based responses within the first few weeks. The toolkit has three strands: understanding affected populations' needs, mapping pre-crisis and crisis-impacted market systems, and exploring response options through analyzing feasibility, outcomes, benefits and risks of different interventions. With EMMA, humanitarian organizations can gather enough information early on to design responses that support markets and livelihoods rather than undermining recovery.
The document summarizes 16 common agricultural value chain finance instruments, providing brief descriptions of each. It analyzes the benefits, limitations, and potential application of several key instruments, including: trader credit, input supplier credit, marketing company credit, lead firm financing, trade receivables finance, warehouse receipts, forward contracts, and joint venture finance. The analysis finds that many instruments have high potential to increase access to finance but also have limitations, such as complexity, costs, or requiring standardized commodities.
The document proposes establishing a partnership between experts in complexity science and those working in inclusive market development. It would involve three phases: 1) building knowledge between the fields, 2) defining a learning agenda and tools, and 3) piloting new approaches in the field. The goal is to improve the impact, efficiency and sustainability of market facilitation programs by applying complexity science concepts in a practical way and building an evidence base for its benefits.
El ciclo de Wilson es un ciclo de la actividad solar que dura aproximadamente 11 años. Durante este ciclo, la actividad solar como las manchas solares y las eyecciones de masa coronal aumentan y disminuyen siguiendo un patrón regular. Este ciclo afecta el clima espacial y la ionosfera de la Tierra.
‘Mapping Fair Trade Networks: Visualising the dynamics of a global movement’. The 4th Fair Trade International Symposium, Liverpool Hope Business School, (April 2012).
In Step 5: Engaging Key Actors you will find guidance about how to develop and implement a strategy of engagement to convince market actors to join the process of participatory market system development.
This step helps you to really understand the actors that you want to engage, devise ‘hooks’ based on their incentives to attract them, and find ways to keep them interested even when things are not going to plan.
Last updated: 19/09/12
Note: the results of this discussion are available at: http://www.slideshare.net/marketfacil/systemic-mand-e-synthesis-31jan2013
This is the first version of the paper that we will use to promote debate, reflection and progress around the systemic M&E initiative. The initiative’s main objective is to promote a rethink of how we measure our impacts on market systems and their evolution towards more inclusion, productivity and efficiency (i.e. how do we know that the markets systems we work with are actually going to continue reducing poverty and protecting the environment even after we have left the scene).
The paper is a live document and it is intended to evolve with the conversations that donors, academic researchers, and practitioners working in inclusive market development and finance/microfinance development. Most of these conversations will take place in MaFI, in USAID’s Microlinks (23-25 Oct, 2012) and the SEEP 2012 Annual Conference. Your comments and questions are welcome (please use the comments box here).
The systemic M&E is one of the concrete solutions proposed by the MaFI-festo (http://slidesha.re/mafifesto2) to make international development cooperation more facilitation-friendly, and therefore, more cost-effective.
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships in Development Sector: A Conceptual Framework Shipra Sharma
The MSP paradigm emerged in response to the failure of both the structural (that over-emphasize the role of government in facilitating development process) and the neo-classical or neo-liberal theories of development (that negate the role of the government and regard free market economy as the key to economic development) to effectively address the complexities of development.
The EMMA Toolkit provides guidance for humanitarian practitioners to conduct rapid market analyses in emergency settings. It aims to help practitioners understand critical market systems and incorporate market-based responses within the first few weeks. The toolkit has three strands: understanding affected populations' needs, mapping pre-crisis and crisis-impacted market systems, and exploring response options through analyzing feasibility, outcomes, benefits and risks of different interventions. With EMMA, humanitarian organizations can gather enough information early on to design responses that support markets and livelihoods rather than undermining recovery.
The document summarizes 16 common agricultural value chain finance instruments, providing brief descriptions of each. It analyzes the benefits, limitations, and potential application of several key instruments, including: trader credit, input supplier credit, marketing company credit, lead firm financing, trade receivables finance, warehouse receipts, forward contracts, and joint venture finance. The analysis finds that many instruments have high potential to increase access to finance but also have limitations, such as complexity, costs, or requiring standardized commodities.
The document proposes establishing a partnership between experts in complexity science and those working in inclusive market development. It would involve three phases: 1) building knowledge between the fields, 2) defining a learning agenda and tools, and 3) piloting new approaches in the field. The goal is to improve the impact, efficiency and sustainability of market facilitation programs by applying complexity science concepts in a practical way and building an evidence base for its benefits.
El ciclo de Wilson es un ciclo de la actividad solar que dura aproximadamente 11 años. Durante este ciclo, la actividad solar como las manchas solares y las eyecciones de masa coronal aumentan y disminuyen siguiendo un patrón regular. Este ciclo afecta el clima espacial y la ionosfera de la Tierra.
This is the working draft of the concept note that describes the Systemic M&E initiative that MaFI is promoting with the support of fhi360 and The SEEP Network. Let MaFI's facilitator know if you have any comments or questions.
This document summarizes a case study on applying seven principles for monitoring and evaluating systemic change to the Market Assistance Program (MAP) in Kenya. MAP aims to improve incomes of poor people through market facilitation and catalytic interventions. The case study evaluates how well each of the seven principles- indirectness of impact, depth of impact, network-driven change, unpredictability, sensitivity to external signals, information deficit, and sustainability as adaptability- fit with MAP's work. It finds that MAP staff widely accept the principles and they inform strategies, but some tensions remain between measuring systemic vs. superficial impacts, and between information needs of management vs. donors. The study provides insights into each principle and suggests MAP could strengthen its ability to measure network
IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER BUT DO NOT HAVE A SLIDESHARE ACCOUNT, PLEASE GO TO: http://bit.ly/mafisystemandesynthseep This paper is the synthesis of conversations that started in MaFI in June 2010 and a series of online and in-person conversations that took place in the second half of 2012. This paper captures the voices of practitioners, academics, donors and entrepreneurs who are trying to find better ways to monitor and evaluate the influence of development projects on market systems and learn more, better and faster from their interventions. The paper flags up three critical issues related to targeting, accountability and sustainability; and PROPOSES SEVEN PRINCIPLES that could help practitioners and policy-makers to designs and implement appropriate and usable systemic M&E frameworks.
The document summarizes the key discussions and findings from the inaugural Red Diamond Congress event hosted by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association in 2010. The Congress brought together exhibition industry leaders to address issues like third-party audits, housing practices, and labor costs. Attendees recognized the need for greater transparency and standardization across these areas. They proposed solutions like mandatory third-party data audits, more flexible housing policies, and standardized labor practices to improve efficiency and value. The event marked the start of an ongoing industry-wide effort to shape a more strategic and collaborative new exhibition model.
The MaFI-festo is one of MaFI’s initiatives to change the world. The MaFI festo is about promoting collaboration between practitioners, donors and other key stakeholders to boost development effectiveness through facilitation of inclusive markets and private sector engagement.
Slides with the key 7 things you should know about MaFI... the best network for inclusive market development facilitators in the world! Why it is different; its learning agenda; how to participate, etc.
The document provides an overview and operational guide for implementing the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to development. It discusses the basic considerations and characteristics of successful M4P programs, outlines the key components of the M4P intervention process including setting strategic frameworks, understanding market systems, defining outcomes, and facilitating systemic change. It also covers managing and governing M4P programs and provides good practice notes on various topics related to implementing the M4P approach. The overall goal of the guide is to improve understanding and application of market development approaches to reduce poverty through inclusive, sustainable market systems.
The document discusses the rise of business ecosystems and their increasing importance in today's economy. Key points:
- Business ecosystems are complex communities of interacting organizations, similar to natural ecosystems. They are becoming more prevalent as digitization and connectivity break down industry boundaries.
- Large companies like Alibaba, Softbank, and Nokia explicitly see themselves as part of or building business ecosystems rather than just competing as standalone firms.
- Ecosystems allow multiple players across industries to collaborate in creating and scaling markets in new ways. They encourage both competition and cooperation toward shared goals.
- By enabling new forms of value creation through specialized contributions and resources, ecosystems address fundamental needs and societal challenges in innovative ways.
This is the final draft of the discussion document on subsidies for agricultural knowledge and information services.
This document will be used to kick start a series of featured discussions in MaFI.
The document was produced by MaFI's Subsidies Learning Team in 2009 and 2010
The document discusses the rise of electronic platforms in global fund distribution. Some key points:
- Electronic platforms are becoming an important distribution channel as regulations change compensation models and investors demand lower fees and more transparency.
- Regulators are reforming compensation to ban commissions and require fees to be paid directly by clients, pushing the industry toward fee-based advisory models and platform distribution.
- Platform distribution is growing, led by insurance and advisor channels, but new technologies mean platforms can support different asset classes and a range of distribution models.
- Major changes in distribution will squeeze costs and margins, potentially challenging smaller asset managers, but larger firms that enhance their digital capabilities and customer experience may withstand the pressure.
Future of Donations Report for peer reviewMartin Wilson
This report has been built following a roadmapping workshop held by the RNLI in May 2018. The aim of the work was to provide a critical path towards a world in which charities allow supporters to donate how, where and when they like.
Nemode Research Workshop Report, AAM and Staffordshire UniversityAAM_Associates
In February 2015 we held a discursive research workshop inviting industry professionals from the creative arts sector to interrogate and discuss the statement: Exploring the barriers to developing new data-driven business models in the creative arts sector.
This report highlights the key areas of discussion.
How to Understand a Product Marketplace by Funding Circle PMProduct School
The presentation walks you through Giorgio Giuliani's journey to Product Management in the world of tech, talks about how to market your skills and how to get into the industry. It also touches on balancing knowledge and personal experience with what's best for a wider user group.
1. Most agent network models break down in rural areas, resulting in a heavy clustering of agents in cities but a severe scarcity of agents in rural localities with lower population densities.
2. Rural agents, especially those in remote frontier areas, face significant challenges to viability including low transaction volumes due to sparse populations, high costs to serve remote locations, and lack of digital and financial literacy among rural customers.
3. Prevailing agent network models have struggled to overcome these barriers, leaving vast numbers of people in rural areas with inadequate access to formal financial services through CICO agents.
Guidelines on greening agri business -relatiuonships-interfirm cooperationPRIVATE CONSULTANCY FIRM
Value Chain Analysis for Sustainable Rural Development
by: Ivan Idrovo and Marian Boquiren.
Contracted by: GIZ-Department of Agriculture-NCI-Philippines
The document is an operational guide for implementing the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to development. It provides an overview of key considerations for designing, commissioning, and implementing M4P programs. The guide explains the frameworks and principles that guide the M4P process, common challenges that programs may face, and how they can be addressed. It also identifies important management and governance aspects of M4P programs and provides examples of good practices from real programs. However, the guide notes that every context is different and M4P implementation cannot be reduced to a rigid step-by-step process. The goal is to equip practitioners with useful tools and lessons while allowing for flexibility.
An attempt to form a general overview of virtual organisations, innovation and its requirements within a business context, leading to the presentation of a candidate method for vBusiness Operations.
Organisations are increasingly realising the power of networks to create the greatest impact for society. Working collaboratively with a network of partners can increase your reach, generate efficiencies and stimulate innovation.
Yet, approaches to working in networks vary widely and each approach has a unique set of associated challenges. In our latest Briefing Paper, Aleron brings together the insight of expert practitioners in the field to bring clarity to the complex area of network working in the social sector.
This document discusses approaches to measuring the impact of networks in the social sector. It provides three case studies:
1) Big Society Capital, which developed a shared outcomes matrix and is working on shared metrics to standardize impact measurement across organizations.
2) The Utrecht Social Impact Factory, a common platform network that provides co-working space and an online impact measurement tool to help members measure social impact.
3) West London Zone, a formally integrated network and collective impact initiative working to improve outcomes for at-risk children through coordinated service delivery and data sharing between partner organizations.
The document examines how different types of networks create value and the different roles funders can play in supporting standardized approaches, shared
Design Strategies to galvanize EcosystemsSimone Cicero
Crafting a power "Shaping Strategy" and galvanize an entire ecosystem to join a platform for collaborative value creation is the new strategy to transform markets in the XXIst century.
Networked business models are transforming markets, communities and production through network effects.
Presentation given in Aalborg University for the BizMedia2016 Event
ACDI/VOCA's Activate is a tool to walk project staff through six steps, resulting in an Social Behaviour Change strategy and M&E plan. First, Activate will provide a set of customizable behaviors with simple guidance on how to select and tailor those behaviors. After projects identify and customize these behaviors, they will have a clearer picture of which behaviors they are trying to change. Activate will then provide training curricula and guidance on barrier analysis and formative research, so that staff will understand how to collect data on drivers and barriers of those behaviors. It will also include a set of sequential decision-making process aides, guidance on best practices from behavioral sciences, and resources on Behavior Mapping to connect target behaviors to M&E processes.
These slides propose a few guidelines and concrete projects to relaunch MaFI as a group that will focus on the psychological and cognitive aspects of facilitation of market systems development (MSD) programmes.
More Related Content
Similar to State of the Practice in Market Facilitation, 2008
This is the working draft of the concept note that describes the Systemic M&E initiative that MaFI is promoting with the support of fhi360 and The SEEP Network. Let MaFI's facilitator know if you have any comments or questions.
This document summarizes a case study on applying seven principles for monitoring and evaluating systemic change to the Market Assistance Program (MAP) in Kenya. MAP aims to improve incomes of poor people through market facilitation and catalytic interventions. The case study evaluates how well each of the seven principles- indirectness of impact, depth of impact, network-driven change, unpredictability, sensitivity to external signals, information deficit, and sustainability as adaptability- fit with MAP's work. It finds that MAP staff widely accept the principles and they inform strategies, but some tensions remain between measuring systemic vs. superficial impacts, and between information needs of management vs. donors. The study provides insights into each principle and suggests MAP could strengthen its ability to measure network
IF YOU WANT TO DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER BUT DO NOT HAVE A SLIDESHARE ACCOUNT, PLEASE GO TO: http://bit.ly/mafisystemandesynthseep This paper is the synthesis of conversations that started in MaFI in June 2010 and a series of online and in-person conversations that took place in the second half of 2012. This paper captures the voices of practitioners, academics, donors and entrepreneurs who are trying to find better ways to monitor and evaluate the influence of development projects on market systems and learn more, better and faster from their interventions. The paper flags up three critical issues related to targeting, accountability and sustainability; and PROPOSES SEVEN PRINCIPLES that could help practitioners and policy-makers to designs and implement appropriate and usable systemic M&E frameworks.
The document summarizes the key discussions and findings from the inaugural Red Diamond Congress event hosted by the Trade Show Exhibitors Association in 2010. The Congress brought together exhibition industry leaders to address issues like third-party audits, housing practices, and labor costs. Attendees recognized the need for greater transparency and standardization across these areas. They proposed solutions like mandatory third-party data audits, more flexible housing policies, and standardized labor practices to improve efficiency and value. The event marked the start of an ongoing industry-wide effort to shape a more strategic and collaborative new exhibition model.
The MaFI-festo is one of MaFI’s initiatives to change the world. The MaFI festo is about promoting collaboration between practitioners, donors and other key stakeholders to boost development effectiveness through facilitation of inclusive markets and private sector engagement.
Slides with the key 7 things you should know about MaFI... the best network for inclusive market development facilitators in the world! Why it is different; its learning agenda; how to participate, etc.
The document provides an overview and operational guide for implementing the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to development. It discusses the basic considerations and characteristics of successful M4P programs, outlines the key components of the M4P intervention process including setting strategic frameworks, understanding market systems, defining outcomes, and facilitating systemic change. It also covers managing and governing M4P programs and provides good practice notes on various topics related to implementing the M4P approach. The overall goal of the guide is to improve understanding and application of market development approaches to reduce poverty through inclusive, sustainable market systems.
The document discusses the rise of business ecosystems and their increasing importance in today's economy. Key points:
- Business ecosystems are complex communities of interacting organizations, similar to natural ecosystems. They are becoming more prevalent as digitization and connectivity break down industry boundaries.
- Large companies like Alibaba, Softbank, and Nokia explicitly see themselves as part of or building business ecosystems rather than just competing as standalone firms.
- Ecosystems allow multiple players across industries to collaborate in creating and scaling markets in new ways. They encourage both competition and cooperation toward shared goals.
- By enabling new forms of value creation through specialized contributions and resources, ecosystems address fundamental needs and societal challenges in innovative ways.
This is the final draft of the discussion document on subsidies for agricultural knowledge and information services.
This document will be used to kick start a series of featured discussions in MaFI.
The document was produced by MaFI's Subsidies Learning Team in 2009 and 2010
The document discusses the rise of electronic platforms in global fund distribution. Some key points:
- Electronic platforms are becoming an important distribution channel as regulations change compensation models and investors demand lower fees and more transparency.
- Regulators are reforming compensation to ban commissions and require fees to be paid directly by clients, pushing the industry toward fee-based advisory models and platform distribution.
- Platform distribution is growing, led by insurance and advisor channels, but new technologies mean platforms can support different asset classes and a range of distribution models.
- Major changes in distribution will squeeze costs and margins, potentially challenging smaller asset managers, but larger firms that enhance their digital capabilities and customer experience may withstand the pressure.
Future of Donations Report for peer reviewMartin Wilson
This report has been built following a roadmapping workshop held by the RNLI in May 2018. The aim of the work was to provide a critical path towards a world in which charities allow supporters to donate how, where and when they like.
Nemode Research Workshop Report, AAM and Staffordshire UniversityAAM_Associates
In February 2015 we held a discursive research workshop inviting industry professionals from the creative arts sector to interrogate and discuss the statement: Exploring the barriers to developing new data-driven business models in the creative arts sector.
This report highlights the key areas of discussion.
How to Understand a Product Marketplace by Funding Circle PMProduct School
The presentation walks you through Giorgio Giuliani's journey to Product Management in the world of tech, talks about how to market your skills and how to get into the industry. It also touches on balancing knowledge and personal experience with what's best for a wider user group.
1. Most agent network models break down in rural areas, resulting in a heavy clustering of agents in cities but a severe scarcity of agents in rural localities with lower population densities.
2. Rural agents, especially those in remote frontier areas, face significant challenges to viability including low transaction volumes due to sparse populations, high costs to serve remote locations, and lack of digital and financial literacy among rural customers.
3. Prevailing agent network models have struggled to overcome these barriers, leaving vast numbers of people in rural areas with inadequate access to formal financial services through CICO agents.
Guidelines on greening agri business -relatiuonships-interfirm cooperationPRIVATE CONSULTANCY FIRM
Value Chain Analysis for Sustainable Rural Development
by: Ivan Idrovo and Marian Boquiren.
Contracted by: GIZ-Department of Agriculture-NCI-Philippines
The document is an operational guide for implementing the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to development. It provides an overview of key considerations for designing, commissioning, and implementing M4P programs. The guide explains the frameworks and principles that guide the M4P process, common challenges that programs may face, and how they can be addressed. It also identifies important management and governance aspects of M4P programs and provides examples of good practices from real programs. However, the guide notes that every context is different and M4P implementation cannot be reduced to a rigid step-by-step process. The goal is to equip practitioners with useful tools and lessons while allowing for flexibility.
An attempt to form a general overview of virtual organisations, innovation and its requirements within a business context, leading to the presentation of a candidate method for vBusiness Operations.
Organisations are increasingly realising the power of networks to create the greatest impact for society. Working collaboratively with a network of partners can increase your reach, generate efficiencies and stimulate innovation.
Yet, approaches to working in networks vary widely and each approach has a unique set of associated challenges. In our latest Briefing Paper, Aleron brings together the insight of expert practitioners in the field to bring clarity to the complex area of network working in the social sector.
This document discusses approaches to measuring the impact of networks in the social sector. It provides three case studies:
1) Big Society Capital, which developed a shared outcomes matrix and is working on shared metrics to standardize impact measurement across organizations.
2) The Utrecht Social Impact Factory, a common platform network that provides co-working space and an online impact measurement tool to help members measure social impact.
3) West London Zone, a formally integrated network and collective impact initiative working to improve outcomes for at-risk children through coordinated service delivery and data sharing between partner organizations.
The document examines how different types of networks create value and the different roles funders can play in supporting standardized approaches, shared
Design Strategies to galvanize EcosystemsSimone Cicero
Crafting a power "Shaping Strategy" and galvanize an entire ecosystem to join a platform for collaborative value creation is the new strategy to transform markets in the XXIst century.
Networked business models are transforming markets, communities and production through network effects.
Presentation given in Aalborg University for the BizMedia2016 Event
Similar to State of the Practice in Market Facilitation, 2008 (20)
ACDI/VOCA's Activate is a tool to walk project staff through six steps, resulting in an Social Behaviour Change strategy and M&E plan. First, Activate will provide a set of customizable behaviors with simple guidance on how to select and tailor those behaviors. After projects identify and customize these behaviors, they will have a clearer picture of which behaviors they are trying to change. Activate will then provide training curricula and guidance on barrier analysis and formative research, so that staff will understand how to collect data on drivers and barriers of those behaviors. It will also include a set of sequential decision-making process aides, guidance on best practices from behavioral sciences, and resources on Behavior Mapping to connect target behaviors to M&E processes.
These slides propose a few guidelines and concrete projects to relaunch MaFI as a group that will focus on the psychological and cognitive aspects of facilitation of market systems development (MSD) programmes.
The results of a poll done to get feedback from members about a proposal to focus MaFI on the human and organisational sides of facilitation of market systems development.
The document summarizes a meeting of the Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI) that promoted facilitation of market systems development. It discussed MaFI's strategy in action through Market Facilitation Clinics that allow practitioners to address challenges together, and a Tools Portal to help facilitators access appropriate tools. Participants provided ideas on how the Clinics and Portal could better support practitioners and ensure application of market systems approaches in sectors like women's economic empowerment and food security.
This document outlines an agenda for a lunch session on market facilitation clinics. It discusses the background and rationale for the clinics, as well as the methods used and results obtained. Key elements of the clinics are defined and examples are given of feedback received. Next steps discussed include following up with past participants, rolling out additional thematic programs, and adapting the pilot clinic approach based on lessons learned.
This set of slides provide an account of the meeting building upon the original slides that were used that day. Comments and questions from the participants and replies from the facilitator were added. The slides also contain the main insights and recommendations from the breakout groups which focused on five concrete ideas that could become part of MaFI's 2016 Work Plan; namely:
- adaptable management
- facilitation
- complexity for scale
- practitioner groups
- financial inclusion through market systems
The document summarizes a session from the SEEP Annual Conference in 2014 on scaling impact in inclusive market systems. The session focused on the state of the Market Facilitation Initiative (MaFI) and opportunities for collaboration. Key points included: MaFI continues growing slowly with impressive engagement among members; focus on sustainable knowledge production; exploring e-learning strategies for scaling facilitator training. Participants discussed topics like measuring systemic change, models for input/output market facilitation, and integrating human-centered design into development projects.
1) The document examines how effectively evaluations are contributing to learning among market development practitioners. It discusses findings from a survey of 25 practitioners that identified barriers like the quality and dissemination of evaluation results.
2) The survey found that while practitioners generally have opportunities to participate in and discuss evaluations, some lack incentives for learning like dedicated time or review in appraisals.
3) The author proposes a framework and recommendations to better incentivize learning, including tying evaluator compensation to demonstrated learning, using IT for internal feedback loops, and sector-wide surveys of learning initiatives.
A white paper produced by Kenya Markets Trust (KMT) and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to promote the application of lean management principles to the field of inclusive market development
This is one of the learning documents produced by USAID's Leveraging Economic Opportunities (LEO) Programme. MaFI members will use this document to share knowledge about theories and practices related to market systems.
The Market Systems Framework initiative aims to align the VC framework with systems concepts, make the very poor more visible, and better express the fact that VCs are adaptive, multi-layered, non-linear, and relationship based. The initiative seeks to define inclusive market systems and propose recommendations for project design and implementation.
The framework will be used to develop a detailed learning agenda to address how we (i) analyse market systems, (ii) use the analysis to design inclusive interventions that achieve systemic change, and (iii) measure the results.
You can learn more about LEO at: http://www.acdivoca.org/LEO
This document provides instructions for members of MaFI (Microfinance Opportunities' Access to Finance Initiative) to introduce themselves on LinkedIn in order to build trust within the organization. Members are asked to answer three questions about their current work, an important recent lesson, and what help they would ask for from a fairy godmother or genie. They are then instructed to post their introductions and answers on the MaFI LinkedIn page under a specific discussion title format. The purpose is to get to know other members better through open sharing and build higher levels of trust, which can contribute to more effective learning, coordination, and collaboration.
The paper starts out by examining the civil society strategy of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs which forms the basis for public NGO financing in Denmark. The assessment of the Danish policy environment includes extensive reference to a paper on the role of civil society in pro-poor growth initiatives prepared by CISU, an umbrella and fund for smaller Danish NGOs. Secondly, a couple of studies on the experiences of Danish NGOs working with the private sector are presented. Starting from a short reference to the role of NGOs and private sector in the area of microfinance, the paper then presents the role of the NGO in the development of pro-poor value chains including the planning and analysis process. Interventions are further specified in terms of a number of areas in which NGOs can support lead firms and small producers followed by a presentation of a number of ways that NGOs can ensure that working with the private sector indeed benefits the very poor. (Taken from the paper)
The Market Learning Event had the following aim:
To promote the appropriate use of market analysis and market based programming in humanitarian contexts through the consideration of the current and potential engagement with markets. The event set out to answer the following questions:
What are we doing today in relation to humanitarian programming and research?
What should we be aiming for?
What have we learnt in terms of challenges and solutions?
What do we need to do now and what is the priority?
The event combined presentations on experience and learning in assessment, analysis and response in relation to markets (see Agenda in Annex 1 for topics) in both the humanitarian and development sector, with working group discussions to explore gaps in knowledge and practices, and outline possible solutions for addressing these. While the learning had a clear humanitarian focus, the event aimed to explore developmental and private sector practices and knowledge, to allow for broadened learning and different approaches that could feed in and support the further development of humanitarian engagements.
This is a document that proposes a vision and strategies to do a second round of testing to find out a sustainable and efficient model to promote local-global dialogues between MaFI and LLGs all over the world.
This is the short version of the MaFI 2013 Work Plan. If you do not have much time to read the details, here’s a summary of objectives and modules:
Objectives:
- To continue influencing the principles, rules and practices of international development to promote facilitation approaches in inclusive market development using the MaFI-festo as a general guideline.
- To further the practice and thinking of inclusive market development facilitation through a systematic process of learning and action-research between market facilitators and M&E and complexity experts, mainly through the Complexity Dialogues and the Systemic M&E Initiative.
- To produce knowledge products based on MaFI’s learning agenda and processes (e.g. online discussions, webinars and in-person meetings) that inform and build the capacity of field practitioners and are relevant and interesting to other decision-makers such as donors and lead firms.
- To promote in-person interactions and local-global dialogue, learning and coordination through formal and informal initiatives such as Local Learning Groups, MaFI Ambassadors, workshops and conferences.
- To continue improving the efficiency and effectiveness of MaFI’s back-end operations (e.g. guidance to members, processing and selection of requests to join, MaFI introductions, selection of Top Influencer of the Month, etc.)
Modules:
- M&E of MaFI: To build better theories of change and indicators to monitor how learning and collaboration processes change in MaFI and to assess MaFI’s impacts on its members
- MaFI “Instructions Manual”: To codify the operational principles and the lessons learned by the facilitator of MaFI since its beginnings in 2007-8 and to provide tips and instructions about how to manage the back-end processes that keep MaFI running efficiently.
- Systemic M&E, Phase II: To illustrate the practical application, implications and impacts of the principles proposed in the Systemic M&E synthesis document in the context of inclusive market development initiatives.
- Complexity Dialogues: To build a learning agenda that will help MaFI to interact in a more systematic way with complexity experts to improve the application of complexity science in inclusive market development practice and policy-making.
- Capacity Building: To build global convergence and consensus around the basic skills and attitudes that effective and efficient facilitators of inclusive market development initiatives should have.
- Knowledge Production System: To convert the best discussions ever produced by MaFI into knowledge products that are easy to read and can reach large numbers of practitioners globally, both for information and training purposes.
- Local Learning and collaboration: To promote locally contextualised learning and collaboration between key development actors such as field practitioners, policy-makers and donors around issues related to facilitation of inclusive market development
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3. Conference Synthesis:
State of the Practice
in Market Facilitation
Authored by
Jessica Elisberg, The SEEP Network
Tracy Gerstle, formerly of CHF International
Luis ‘Lucho’ Osorio, Practical Action
Edited by
Sabina Rogers, The SEEP Network
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Effective Facilitation & Its Challenges ............................................................................................................................. 2
Facilitation of Horizontal Linkages .................................................................................................................................. 3
Strategic Use of Subsidies .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Exit Strategies ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Using Monitoring & Evaluation Tools for Facilitation .............................................................................................. 6
Resources .................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
4. Introduction
The Market Facilitation Initiative, coordinated by Tracy Gerstle and Lucho Osorio, is one of the
learning initiatives of the Enterprise Development Exchange (http://edexchange.seepnetwork.org)
and the first joint venture between The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network. It aims to
assist practitioners working in Pro-Poor Market Development to move from market assessments
and program design to implementation by advancing practical principles, techniques, and tools.
Currently, there is a wide body of resources on how to conduct market research and program
design for market development programs. However, there is far less available on the “how” in
terms of program implementation. This initiative aims to promote program implementation and
market facilitation methods that achieve scalable impact and sustainability.
An opening step in this Initiative was a five-day online conference held from September 29 to
October 3, 2008. Over 170 practitioners representing organizations all over the world signed up
for the conference and 28 participated actively. The goals of this learning event were to gain a
better understanding of the state of market facilitation practices and to identify concrete needs and
knowledge gaps that can be addressed by the Initiative. These goals were approached through
discussions that focused on the following topics:
Effective Facilitation & Its Challenges
Facilitation of Horizontal Linkages
Strategic Use of Subsidies
Exit Strategies
Using Monitoring & Evaluation Tools for Facilitation
In addition to this synthesis, follow-up outputs to the Market Facilitation Initiative Online
Conference will include a Literature Review and a series of knowledge products from each of the
volunteer teams involved in the Initiative. These documents will be made widely available through
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 1
5. Effective Facilitation & Its Challenges
The conference opened with the following definitions:
Pro-poor market development seeks to promote changes in market systems that generate
positive, sustained impacts for a large number of marginalized enterprises and households in terms
of income, employment, and access to products and services that better their lives.
Facilitation of pro-poor market development is an approach to poverty reduction that aims to
assist market stakeholders, both private and public, in building relationships and undertaking
collective actions that enhance their ability to continuously improve upon productivity, thus
resulting in competitiveness and sustained economic and social gains.
Participants were asked to share their thoughts on the preceding definitions and to describe both
the characteristics of good facilitation and the challenges of facilitation market development
programs. The definitions of development and facilitation were generally accepted and discussion
focused on the challenges and characteristics of good facilitation.
Common challenges included
Overcoming inadequacies in infrastructure and services as well as market failures;
Identifying and including all stakeholders in the market development process;
Bringing stakeholders together, gaining trust, and achieving buy-in;
Allowing stakeholders to reach their own conclusions and generate their own ideas, rather
than leading them to answers;
Building staff capacity for good facilitation;
Acquiring accurate information to understand the big picture of market structure,
dynamics, blockages, and opportunities;
Ensuring that program funds are adaptable to changing circumstances;
Reaching scale;
Determining whether NGOs and other non-profit actors can serve as effective facilitators;
Recognizing that effective market development requires much more than facilitation.
Frequently-cited characteristics of good facilitation were closely tied to the ability to overcome the
aforementioned challenges. Additionally, good facilitators have
An openness to new ideas and flexibility;
Motivation to foster linkages between initiatives and programs;
Patience and significant investment of time;
Sound organization and coordination skills;
An ability to inspire collective vision and collaboration.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 2
6. Facilitation of Horizontal Linkages
The second day of the conference focused on horizontal linkages (i.e., linkages that connect actors
of the same type such as cooperatives and producer networks), asking participants how they
facilitate such linkages in order to enable scaling up, which local actors have incentives to promote
horizontal linkages commercially, and whether this promotion is a task that facilitators sometimes
need to undertake. The discussion also addressed the risk of producer groups becoming dependent
on or vulnerable to powerful lead firms.
Participants suggested a number of applicable principles for the facilitation of horizontal linkages,
including:
Promote connections between producer groups and diverse actors in input and output
markets;
Encourage vertical linkages through alliances, multi-stakeholder platforms, interest groups,
or forums;
Blend subsidized capacity building with facilitation of vertical commercial linkages;
Use market information services to reduce imbalances of power between producers and
traders;
Avoid processes that make producer groups vulnerable or dependent;
Keep in mind the bigger vision of the market and remember that markets are embedded in
social systems;
Remember that socio-economic, cultural, political, and geographic context plays a big role in
determining the optimal structure of horizontal groups.
Additionally, a number of tools and practices were mentioned, specifically:
Subsector selection;
Market mapping;
Capacity building;
Production of communication and training materials;
Visits from marginalized producers to other businesses.
The discussion also highlighted some critical considerations for facilitators when addressing
horizontal linkages:
Facilitation should not involve forcing ideas upon a group, which may be difficult when
balancing contradictory demands from stakeholders and development agents;
Facilitation is appropriate in situations where interest already exists;
NGOs, buyers, service providers, and government agencies can all contribute to the
emergence and scaling-up of linkages;
It is important for all actors involved in developing linkages to understand the broader
issues related to market systems, which requires access to knowledge that may be beyond
the immediate reach of the facilitator.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 3
7. Strategic Use of Subsidies
The third day of the conference focused the conversation on the use of subsidies in market
development programs, opening with the following comment.
“Facilitators can leverage subsidies to promote opportunities and encourage new behaviors by
lessening risks at the outset for market stakeholders to test new ways of doing business that make
markets more competitive and inclusive. However, there seems to be a lack of tools for identifying
when and how to use subsidies. Many facilitators consider activities which will have recurring
costs inappropriate for subsidization, whereas subsidies for one-time expenditures that lead to
greater outputs could be merited.”
Participants were asked whether this “rule of thumb” is sufficient guidance for considering the use
of subsidies, and if not, what other factors need to be taken into account. The discussion centered
on both appropriate application of subsidies and ways in which to evaluate the use of subsidies.
Regarding the appropriate use of subsidies, discussants agreed that subsidies can be useful as a
means of kick-starting activities and encouraging market stakeholders to undertake risk or to
change their behaviors. On the other hand, subsidies can also limit the potential scale of a project
and distort the market, which leads to self-defeat in the long run. The group did not reach an
agreement regarding objectives for which subsidies are an appropriate tool.
Participants also discussed key questions to ask when either considering implementation of a
subsidy or evaluating a subsidy that is already being used. Central issues included:
Collecting accurate information;
Evaluating alternative approaches besides subsidies;
Having a clear understanding of the subsidy – including perceived need, who the recipients
are, timeframe, recurrence, and monitoring and evaluation;
Ensuring sustainability of the activity after the subsidy ends.
Comments from participants indicated that there is a lack of tools and thorough guidance on the use
of subsidies in market development programs. This suggests that a potential activity for the
Working Group is to develop a set of tools that assist practitioners in determining if, when, and for
what purpose subsidies may be appropriate in their programs.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 4
8. Exit Strategies
The fourth day of the conference addressed exit strategies. Exit strategy is a common term in the
facilitation literature, but there is an absence of tools and principles to help facilitators understand
how to exit the facilitation process without jeopardizing sustainability. The discussion opened with
the following questions:
What elements should be included in project design to create conditions for a smooth exit?
Are there any signals that a facilitator can pick up on to plan and adjust the exit strategy?
How should a facilitator communicate his/her intention to exit the process in ways that do
not affect engagement and commitment from market stakeholders?
Some of the key principles that were identified in designing and implementing effective exit
strategies include:
Attentive and flexible project design processes that involves relevant market actors;
Consideration of the exit strategy from the very beginning and throughout the project cycle;
Clear and constant communication with stakeholders about the exit strategy as well as the
facilitator’s role;
Design that reflects market demands and what makes business sense;
Close monitoring to ensure that the exit strategy reflects reality and recognizes when
market actors begin to take the initiative;
Identification of existing organizations and institutions that can take the facilitation process
further.
Participants’ comments indicate that there is no comprehensive toolkit to help facilitators design
effective exit strategies. The construction of a toolkit, guidelines, and principles for exit strategies
would be useful in addressing many of the concerns and challenges that were brought up in the
discussion, such as:
How the institutionalization of facilitation (i.e. the growth of permanent development
bureaucracies) affects the market development and the exit processes;
How to effectively engage actors who are fundamental to the success of the process but may
be uncooperative;
Whether facilitation skills should remain within the market system or whether market
development should continue as part of the core business and activities of market
stakeholders after the facilitator’s exit;
What indicators could be used to help facilitators know when to exit;
How to ensure sustainability of interactions between stakeholders after the exit.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 5
9. Using Monitoring & Evaluation Tools for Facilitation
The final day of the conference opened with observations about M & E tools:
M & E tools and approaches focus too heavily on programmatic impact, making it difficult
for managers to track ongoing progress of their interventions;
Facilitators need tools that enable them to monitor progress in trust-building and
coordination amongst market actors as well as ensuring the ongoing relevance of their
facilitation as market trends evolve.
Conference participants were asked to weigh in on whether they agreed with these observations or
not and to provide examples of how they determined ongoing relevance of their programs or how
they used M & E as a programmatic tool. Additionally, they were asked what types of information
are needed to effectively use M & E and what monitoring & evaluation can be used for outside of
measuring impact. The discussion focused on two main topics within the category of monitoring &
evaluation: the link between M & E and exit strategies and the need to incorporate both qualitative
and quantitative indicators.
The following observations were made on the link between M & E and exit strategies:
Quantitative indicators should be included as part of the process of designing an effective
exit strategy;
Data from M & E should inform the decision-making process regarding when and how to
exit;
M & E should also include indicators that measure the facilitation process itself and the
success of an exit.
A common opinion amongst participants was that quantitative indicators alone are insufficient for
effective M & E, and that it is necessary to include qualitative measures as well. The discussion on
qualitative indicators included these highlights:
Standard of living and other indicators, such as changes in decision-making in a household,
should be used to gain a more complete picture;
Tools such as the Relationship Matrix can be used to measure changes in relationships
between key market actors;
Participatory methods of M & E, including Stories of Change and case studies, can be an
effective means of collecting information about the facilitation process and impacts;
Donors are sometimes over-reliant on quantitative measures and may be averse to change;
Introducing qualitative methods of M & E and convincing staff to internalize them can be
challenging.
General consensus on M & E indicated that it should be a continuous process that leads to
improvement through a system of data collection, analysis, results sharing, and decision-making.
However, a concern was raised that M & E can lose its utility when too much time is spent on
complicated processes or when it is outsourced to an external actor who may not fully understand
the context.
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 6
10. Resources
Theme: Facilitation
Conflict-Sensitive Approaches to Value Chain Development (USAID)
Supporting Small Forest Enterprises: A cross-sectoral review of best practice (IIED)
Toolkit for Facilitation of Small Forest Enterprises (Forest Connect)
Theme: Horizontal Linkages
Generating Higher Revenues for Farmers (News article from Pakistan)
Improving Production of Dry Fruits (News article from Pakistan)
Theme: Exit Strategies
Constraints-Solution-Solution Provider-Intervention Continuum; Program Design for Value Chain
Initiatives (MEDA/PML)
Performance Measurement Framework (CIDA)
Theme: Monitoring & Evaluation
Relationship Matrix (Practical Action Bangladesh)
M&E Action Plan for Making Markets Work (Practical Action Bangladesh)
The SEEP Network and the Livelihoods Network – The Market Facilitation Initiative 7
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