Skills for Preparing Farmer Groups to Engage Successfully with Markets and a Digital Field Agent Platform Rupert Best, Sept November 2012 TOPS/FSN Regional Knowledge Sharing Meeting 1 Reaching the Vulnerable Through Market-Based Approaches

Discuss some of the main challenges Explore practical solutions 2 Objectives of session

Challenges to Market-based Approaches for the Vulnerable 3 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 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? 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?

5 Skill Sets 6 Core skills Cross-cutting skills

Economic strengthening pathway and skills integration 7 Source: 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 8 First run out – 4 countries in Central America – 1 project, 14 partners – Targeted 15,000 vulnerable HH – Final evaluation just completed Over 70 % coverage of financial skills Unde r 30% coverage of collective marketing skills

Field testing in Southern Africa Co-development with members of a multi- stakeholder Learning Alliance since Skills and Digital Field Agent Platform Testing in 4 countries 7 projects and about 12 partners 9

Development of bespoke materials 5 Skills manuals E-learning courses 10

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 monitoring Track and Map Project set up Baseline / impact MEAS Learning products IFormBuilder Digital forms IFormBuilder Digital 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 15 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 16