DESIRABLE FACTORS
Allow farmers to design the training
regime: The training must be demand
driven and should allow for refresher
training programs and remedial action
where required.
Assure congruence: Partnerships
between the facilitator and the super-
facilitator work best when there is a
clear strategic fit between the
facilitator's desire to develop its
operations and the opportunities
offered by the program. This ensures
that the facilitator is more willing to
commit to ensuring success of the
program. This demands that the
selection process be rigorous and that
the modeling process be highly
consultative.
Pursue institutionalization of
practices: In order for a SBO and SP
to truly benefit they must alter their
systems and processes appropriately.
Replicate the offer: There is
evidence that development agencies
continue to support farmers and SPs
with financial contributions. Some
agencies continue to donate
equipment, and pay people to attend
training. This represents a continued
risk to the BDS model. As such it is
imperative that the KDSCP
experience be picked up beyond
agency program level such that
donors encourage wider adoption.
Be cogniscent of training costs:
Understanding the capability of rural
consumers to meet independent
consultant costs.
Assess wider systems change:
Many agencies gather little or no
information on the extent to which
market systems are changing. A few
gather some information on market
system changes, but do not try to
explore the attribution of changes to
program activities. A few gather
anecdotal evidence of market system
changes resulting from program
activities. It is a rare program that
specifies the dimensions of market
system change it aims to make, and
then systematically assesses the
extent to which the program is
affecting the target market system
along those dimensions. Without an
effective monitoring and evaluation
system, programs have little incentive
to focus on systemic change, and are
unable to show objective results that
would create momentum for others to
replicate success.
Keep repeating the offer: There may
continue to be expectations among
stakeholders beyond the financial
element and the super facilitator must
continuously repeat the value
proposition to each player.
Be inclusive: By adopting an inclusive
relationship with facilitators the
program was capable of collaborative
involvement in the drafting of activities
– this provided stakeholders the
opportunity of owning the process.
Live up to expectations: Ensure all
services (such as inputs, technology
and training) are of high quality and
deliver change linked to increased
production, sales and profit.
Coordinate efforts: Communicate with
other development agencies as much as
possible to help build their
understanding of the rational and impact
of the BDS approach.
Tread lightly in the market: Donors
and facilitators should not be too visible
as stakeholders often expect subsidies;
and do not smother the market with
inappropriate funding as this will
suppress or crowd out private suppliers
and may damage the market.
Guide the local facilitators: Work hard
to ensure the buy in of the facilitator and
build their understanding of the
commercial approach pursued by the
program. To succeed the facilitators
need to be organized, target well and
work with the most appropriate and
business-like SBOs and SPs. They must
be able to think innovatively in order to
address various challenges.
Focus on the more marginalized:
Target the poor and work to reach rural,
remote and disadvantaged groups.
Linking rural, marginalized and
historically under-served groups in to
value chains and support markets
provides business and a voice for
communities that lack representation.
KDSCP have found that working with the
milk sheds closer to the Capital City has
been less successful in meeting their
objectives as market actors tend to have
more access to information and services,
plus have more developed institutional
structures to address their problems.
More advanced markets require different
approaches to service facilitation.
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