• About the course

    Engagement with the private sector has become increasingly more important to Danish NGOs - in Denmark and in the Global South. Rather than simply acting as a new source of funding, NGOs recognize the critical importance of engaging markets as part of development strategies to ensure the sustainability of their project outcomes. The private sector has the capacity to improve it's relationships with small-scale farmers through buying produce from or selling inputs to the small-scale farmers in a way that ultimately benefits the farmers and the communities in which they live. Drawing on their vast on-the-ground knowledge, NGOs can support these businesses in improving relationships with small-scale farmers through win-win business strategies.

     

    The aim of this course is to provide support to Danish NGOs and private sector companies with the tools and concrete activities to enable, initiate and broaden inclusive market development. The course provides guidance on working successfully in agricultural markets and value chains in the Global South.

     

    This course is divided into 7 modules and it is recommended, but not mandatory, to take them in the order in which they're listed. The course includes some optional exercises that will supplement your training. Completing the exercises will give you the opportunity to work with the topics and tools presented in the modules, and hence bring you a step closer to the successful implementation of market development in your agricultural projects.

    • About the facilitator


      Margie Brand

      Margie Brand is the Executive Director and founder of EcoVentures International, which was founded back in 2002. 
      She specialises in market facilitation and value chain development, and has long term experience in the field.
      In her facilitation, Margie uses creative, visual tools which creates a very engaging learning environment, and her style creates a high-level of active participation amongst the participants in her courses. 



      • Project focused Approach

        This module provides a better understanding of more typical project-focused approaches that are not focused on more sustainably developing market systems.


        Duration: 7:39 minutes

        • Market focused approach

          This module provides a better understanding of using market facilitation approaches to sustainably develop and strengthen market systems.


          Duration: 15:00 minutes

          • Influencing Business Behaviors

            This module will give you insight into how you can understand and influence businesses and other market actors to change their behavior and business strategies. Using an analogy of a dancing man, this module explores how certain firms can lead with change in order to influence other firms to follow.


            Duration: 7:35 minutes


            NB: Link to the Dancing Man video, which Margie refers to in the video can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO8MwBZl-Vc

            • Assessing the Effect of Project Activities on the Market

              This module provides guidance on how to assess the likely market response to the activities that the project is implementing and if they might be successful market-orientated approaches. The module

              considers: Who are the main relationships between? Who feels ownership of the activities? What is the level of intensity to implement the activities (i.e. level of resources and roles)?


              Duration: 8: 30 minutes

              • Key Principles: Exit Strategy

                In this module you'll be introduced to the concept of establishing rolling 'exit strategies', not only at the end of the project, but when a certain behaviour or outcome has been reached


                Duration: 4:17 minutes

                • Key Principle: Crowding In

                  In this module you'll be introduced to the concept of 'crowding in' in order to influence more businesses and other market actors through competitive pressures to take on preferred behaviours and business strategies.


                  Duration: 3:52 minutes 

                  • Key Principle: Demonstration Effect

                    In this module you'll be introduced to the concept of 'demonstration effect' in order to showcase success by initial businesses and other market actors which decreases the risk of others taking on the same behaviours in the future.


                     Duration: 1:54 minutes