The IGP is a key tool used by USAID for knowledge generation and is practitioner-driven, action oriented, collaborative, and reflective in its activities; SEEP facilitates the learning. This project allows practitioners to learn from each other, share their success and failures with each other and others in the process, and move the entire field forward.
Publications from the 2002-2004 IGP Learning Initiative
AFE Mali Case Study
Le Cas de AFE-Mali
BDS Market Facilitation in Azerbaijan
Bridging the Gaps in the Kaong Subsector
IDEI’s Twelve-Year Journey Towards Facilitation
The Role of the Facilitator: Taking a Systems Perspective
Le Role du Facilitateur: Une Approche Systemique
Middlemen as Agents of Change
Struggling to Facilitate Win-Win Relationships in Uganda’s Agro-Input Distribution Sector
Making Retail Markets Work
More Information
There are two learning themes:
- Creating Win-Win Relationships: The ED IGP Learning Network members are interested in finding ways to facilitate win-win relationships between small- and microenterprises and lead firms. In addition, they want to explore how to facilitate win-win relationships under special circumstances, such as when there are multiple lead firms or when the need for win-win relationships extends beyond the firms in the value chain. The questions to be addressed:
- What is the balance of power between the lead firm and SMEs? Which firm has more control over the terms of the exchange, such as product characteristics, timing, and prices?
- How much information is exchanged between firms? Do SMEs have opportunities to learn about changes in processes, products, and markets?
- Do both lead firms and SMEs benefit from the relationship? Do the majority of benefits consistently flow in one direction only?
- Catalyzing Change: What challenges do implementing organizations face in their attempts to catalyze change within value chains, and what factors, conditions, and facilitation strategies lead to and result in significant, positive, and sustainable change?
The Learning Network members are Conservation International (Madagascar), SDC Asia Philippines, and ACDI/VOCA (India).
Key questions generated by the workshops include:
- What are more effective roles/responsibilities that government can take in value chain development?
- What are the factors, conditions and facilitation activities that will lead to and result in win-win relationships particularly in vertical linkages?
- How to facilitate sustainable relationships between small and microenterprises and one or more lead firms?
- How to get win-win between competing interests, goals and objectives? How to align incentives and rewards?
- VC Selection, Analysis, Planning
- How do you come up with a competitiveness strategy and vision? What is your entry point and where do you want to end? How do you measure impact?
- How to incite action within the VC? How to create a certain level of discontent to help create the VC? Facilitate activities to catalyze action?
Deliverables will include workshops, virtual information exchanges (listserv discussions, peer assists conference calls, Notes from the Field, Speaker’s Corners, etc.), guidelines, and publications commissioned through the FIELD-Support LWA or AMAP that link the Network’s learning to overall industry research.
