Skills for Preparing Farmer Groups to Engage Successfully with Markets

and aDigital Field Agent Platform

Rupert Best, Sept 201213 November 2012

TOPS/FSN Regional Knowledge Sharing Meeting

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Reaching the Vulnerable Through Market-Based Approaches

Reaching the Vulnerable Through Market-Based Approaches

• Discuss some of the main challenges• Explore practical solutions

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Objectives of session

Challenges to Market-based Approaches for the Vulnerable

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• Micro-level– Access to:

• Productive assets• Markets• Knowledge and technology

• Meso-level– Absence of appropriate support

services• Macro-level

– Public and private policies that exclude the vulnerable

CRS’ journey to embracing a market-based approach

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• 2002 - initiated a concerted effort to embrace a market-oriented approach

• 2006 – found that our efforts to develop market skills were not having the desired results

What skills do farmers need to engage with markets?

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2006 study in 3 continents revealed:• Need for 5 key skill sets

COMBINED• Need for ‘minimum data set’ to

measure performance– Where, who, what, how much,

profit?

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5 Skill Sets

Core skills

Cross-cutting skills

Economic strengthening pathway and skills integration

7Source: USAID Microlinks. Value Chain Development Wiki

‘… investing household assets in income-generating opportunities is unwise.’

‘….the value chain approach is most relevant as households begin to look for opportunities to grow their assets and expand household income.

Testing the approach in Latin America

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• First run out 2009-2012– 4 countries in Central America– 1 project, 14 partners– Targeted 15,000 vulnerable HH– Final evaluation just completed

• Over 70% coverage of financial skills

• Under 30% coverage of collective marketing skills

Field testing in Southern Africa

• Co-development with members of a multi-stakeholder Learning Alliance since 2009

• 5 Skills and Digital Field Agent Platform

• Testing in 4 countries• 7 projects and about 12

partners

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Development of bespoke materials

• 5 Skills manuals• E-learning courses

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Distance learning to improve the efficiency of field agent training

Distance learning allows real time evaluation of learning programs

Distance learning / training

materials

Farmer registration

Business planning

Profitability analysis

Crop monitoringTrack and

Map

Project set up

Baseline / impact

MEAS Learning products

IFormBuilderDigital forms Brainhoney

LMS Platform

The ICT Enabled Extension Worker

Register clients

Develop business plan

Profit analysis

Production schedule

Farm visit log

On Farm Calculators

Relevance

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• More effective approach– Avoid ‘coordination failure’

• More sustainable– Savings and loans provide

cohesion (glue)• More scalable

– Use of ICTs– Private Service Provider model

• High interest– Min. Ag. extension systems – Alliance for Commodity Trade in

East and Southern Africa

Measures of resilience

• Capacity for innovation • Ability to identify and

select profitable enterprise options

• Regular savings and their investment in assets

• Restoration and improvement of natural resources

• Permanence of democratic organizations

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2

4

6

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10Group organization

Savings and loans

Natural resources management Marketing

Innovation

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5