1. Skills for Preparing Farmer Groups to Engage Successfully with Markets and a Digital Field Agent Platform Rupert Best, Sept 2012 13 November 2012 TOPS/FSN Regional Knowledge Sharing Meeting 1 Reaching the Vulnerable Through Market-Based Approaches

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

3. 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

4. CRS’ journey to embracing a market-based approach 4 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

5. What skills do farmers need to engage with markets? 5 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?

6. 5 Skill Sets 6 Core skills Cross-cutting skills

7. 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.

8. Testing the approach in Latin America 8 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 Unde r 30% coverage of collective marketing skills

9. 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 9

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

11. Distance learning to improve the efficiency of field agent training

12. Distance learning allows real time evaluation of learning programs

13. 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

14. Register clients Develop business plan Profit analysis Production schedule Farm visit log On Farm Calculators

15. 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

16. 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