Resource Library

The Resource Library serves as a broad resource hub, including over 1000 documents, training materials, wikis, and curated reports to increase readers' awareness, understanding, and proficiency of several topics in market systems development. Users have access to proposals, evaluation materials, and USAID policy updates, as well as training modules and wikis to boost skills and knowledge.

These resources are bolstered by the inclusion of curated USAID reports published on the USAID Development Experience Clearinghouse (DEC) which serves as a repository of reports from completed or ongoing USAID development projects around the globe. The full USAID Development Clearinghouse website can be accessed here.

Financial and Economic Analysis of Charcoal and Wood Use for Cooking and Alternatives for Forest Conservation in the DRC

November 20, 2023
This announcement was originally posted on Climatelinks.
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Women in Finance

WOMEN IN FINANCE IN MAURITIUS: Bridging the Gender Gap in Investment and Financial Services Sector in Mauritius

Although gender inequality in the workplace in Mauritius has roots in gender-biased conservative as well as patriarchal norms, values and culture, the issue of providing a psychologically safe workspace for women remains critical. Policymakers tend to focus on what is tangible, such as laws, policies and budgets. Yet, it is important not to neglect the invisible power of norms at the risk of missing a deeper understanding of social change.

Mobilizing Investment for Development with Catalytic Funding: Learning Brief

Catalytic funding is the provision of resources to an investment fund or vehicle designed to mitigate risk and improve the fund's overall viability to attract new investment for development goals. These intermediaries pool resources and distribute risks among investors and are a primary vehicle for blended finance. In many markets in which USAID is present, funds or financial vehicles capable of addressing USAID priorities are few in number and/or too small or inexperienced to make an impact at the needed scale.

Private Sector Engagement (PSE): Checklist Tool for Identifying Bottlenecks & Root Causes in Partnership Processes

This tool was developed to help facilitate an intentional, timely and systematic way to monitor the partnership's processes and reduce collaborative challenges that partners typically face in such engagements. This tool aims to provide a starting point for those involved in the partnership/ engagement to identify any 'red flags' or signs such as slowing down of the partnership processes, slow progress, frustration among partners. These are indications of 'collaborative inertia'.

Private Sector Engagement (PSE): Assessing Partnering Experience

This questionnaire was developed to regularly assess private sector partner’s partnering experience throughout the PSE Lifecycle. This survey can be used as a pulse check as it allows partners to self-assess whether they are having a positive or negative partnering experience at a moment-in-time, and should be followed up with constructive dialogue to address any issues identified from the survey results.

Designing Private Sector Engagement Workbook: Addendum to USAID's Theory of Change Workbook

This design workbook should be used collaboratively among USAID, private sector partners, implementing partners and other stakeholders who might be involved in the PSE activities. The purpose of this workbook is to incorporate their perspectives and potentially help identify any assumptions, risks or unintended consequences that the private sector engagement activity could encounter.

Understanding Private Sector Engagement (PSE) Processes Using Eight (8) Field-Based Case Studies

These case studies are not written as success stories, which are more typical in international development. The purpose of these case studies is to showcase the complex, iterative processes that are typically used while exploring, formulating and implementing these partnerships. These case studies present the narrative story of the partnership from a process perspective, including different external events or internal changes that resulted in challenges or bottlenecks in the process and impacted the partnership's progress and planned outcomes.

With an ID in Hand, Women Have More Economic Opportunities

With a legal identification - like a passport or a national ID card - women and girls have a wider range of economic opportunities. Without one, women generally remain in the informal sector without legal protection, access to formal financial services, government entrepreneurship programmes, or the ability to bid on public tenders. It is almost impossible to, for example, register a business or secure land tenure without proof of ID. However, with an ID in hand, women can secure work in the formal sector, register and grow their businesses, and secure property rights.

U.S. Trade Capacity Building Case Study: Bangladesh

Bangladesh has developed significantly in the 50 years since its founding in 1971. It is now globally recognized as a rapidly growing economy with vast market potential. The United States, in the same period, has funded over $9.5 billion in support of Bangladesh’s development and has become Bangladesh’s largest trading partner.

Fact Sheet: Nexus of Trade Capacity Building and Gender Equality

The World Trade Organization and World Bank’s report, The Role of Trade in Promoting Gender Equality, highlights there is a positive correlation among GDP, trade, investment, gender equality, and women’s economic empowerment. Greater gender equality improves economic returns in trade and investment and vice versa.

The Unseen Sector: Learning from Research to Uncover Investment Opportunities in Climate-Smart Agriculture and Renewable Energy in Zimbabwe

This paper provides insights from a mapping exercise that looked at MSMEs’ investment needs and opportunities in the climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and renewable energy (RE) sectors in Zimbabwe. The study, which was requested by the EU Delegation (EUD), made a number of recommendations that can be taken up by the EUD to attract investments that would have a long lasting impact on MSMEs, including by using guarantee facilities under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).

Feasibility Study for the Development of an End-of-Life Vehicle Facility in Mauritius

In the summer of 2021, the Solid Waste Management Division of the Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change of Mauritius requested the assistance of Africa RISE to conduct a comprehensive technical and economic feasibility study for the establishment, operation and management of an end-of-life vehicle dismantling and parts recycling facility. The study was also to consider other options for end-of-life vehicles, and assess the changes that might be required in existing legislation and regulations.

BD4FS Partners with Disabled Food Entrepreneurs through Food Hygiene Training

For Food Enterprise Solutions (FES), every day is a day to support persons with disabilities. But on December 3rd, 2022, FES joined with the international community to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the theme “Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fuelling an accessible and equitable world.” BD4FS and the Women’s Committee of the Senegalese Federation of Associations of Disabled Persons co-organized four training sessions for over 200 disabled women entrepreneurs in the Senegalese food sector.

Food Loss and Waste: Building an Evidence-Based Business Case for SMEs

The private sector plays an important role in reducing food loss and waste (FLW) because private companies are involved in all stages of the supply chain that generate food loss and waste. While larger food companies may have significant resources dedicated to making their supply chain more efficient and reducing waste, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have received relatively little attention despite their critical role in the food system. Therefore, it is important to understand the costs and benefits of addressing food loss among SMEs.
A Laiterie du Berger milk collector receiving milk from pastoralist Fulani farmers in the Richard Toll area.

The BD4FS Ambassador Firm Approach: Example from a Dairy Value Chain in Senegal

Dairy farmers in northern Senegal are pastoralists who travel nomadically and seasonally to find greener pastures for their animals. This makes it difficult for processors like Laiterie de Berger (LDB) to collect milk. Therefore, LDB has set up a collection system that allows independent or salaried collectors to collect milk from farmers daily by motorcycle or tricycle. LDB created a subsidiary company, Kossam SDE, that provides milk collection and services to farmers to build their loyalty.

A Rough Guide to the MSD Approach for Youth Employment in Sub-Saharan Africa

This Rough Guide has been written to highlight special considerations for the funders and implementers of youth employment-focused programmes that use the MSD approach in Sub-Saharan Africa.  It builds on core MSD guidance, existing literature and practitioner experience. It aims to contribute by helping funders and implementers think systemically about the youth employment challenge and support sustainable, inclusive, and scalable solutions: