Facilitating Behavior Change and Transforming Relationships: Field Application of Key Value Chain Principles

This paper aims to present field applications of key principles of the value chain approach with a focus on emerging best practices for transforming relationships and changing behavior. This paper serves as a guide to the phases in relationship building and transformation, and the corresponding facilitation activities. It suggests an approach that value chain development programs can modify to suit their own needs and context. The development of relationships is an iterative and evolutionary learning process. The key is to start with small, riskable steps and incrementally expand depth and outreach as players become more open to working collaboratively and with increasing levels of trust. Trust is a mediating variable without which it is difficult to sustain cooperative relationships.