All market players had access to facilitation services ultimately allowing the market to
determine the best suppliers. The role of the coordinator, based in the milk shed is very
important. The coordinator should be from the local area and know the sector - in order
to support the working groups, design priority actions and targets and drive
implementation accordingly. These working groups aid the actors to understand the
market‟s critical structures plus each stakeholder's role and responsibilities. They bring
together key market actors and stakeholders to develop a vision of market growth and to
decide how to change the market together. Reporting on these working groups, to the
facilitator and in-turn to the super facilitator is a key function of the coordinator.
SBO AND SERVICE PROVIDER ENGAGEMENT
A similar strategy was employed for working with SBOs and local service providers.
Firstly KDSCP undertook a diagnostic analysis to understand the demand for services
able to address farmers' key problems. This led to the identification and pre-registration
of local consultants with the relevant capabilities. The local facilitator works to
demonstrate the opportunities to these players ensuring that they continue to benefit
from a more organized market after program closure. The facilitator should decide the
best providers to work with, hold regular meetings and engage the right people to
leverage market solutions.
The facilitators have worked to decrease their inputs by linking with local providers to
build their capacity to address market constraints. Ideally therefore the local facilitators
should work to make themselves redundant. In reality many facilitators, like the service
providers, may be profit making entities (and represent business interests) and therefore
wish to see a role for themselves after the program. The value proposition for both is
access to and engagement with a captive market over the program period. They must
then be business oriented enough to take advantage of the business opportunities
derived from the program (such as building a reputation and track record as well as
networking and creating demand for their own products and services).
However it must be noted that a conflict of interest may arise if a clear separation is not
made between the provider and facilitator roles.
Systemic projects are about developing the
interrelated parts of the market systems to function
better as a whole while ensuring the mitigation of
impediments to market development. It is defined by
the vision of a well-functioning market based on an
understanding of the market functions and players
and who should do what and who should pay, driven
by incentives and capacity. This is all underpinned by
the desire to achieve the common purpose of market
development. It is this focus on market development
as a whole that ensures the long term sustainability of
the value that is delivered to the key small business
beneficiaries.
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