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.

Case Study Series: Women-Inclusive Return on Investment (WI-ROI)

This series profiles select small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have implemented women-inclusive (WI) initiatives and can demonstrate returns on investment (ROI), features a learning note on MSP’s lessons for selecting and working with firms on WI initiatives, and a synthesis report, which pulls it all together—the practical application of WI-ROI within private sector firms and a suggested timeline for utilizing all the WI-ROI guides developed under MSP’s Learning Stream over the last several years.

The case study series features:

  • By: Erin MarkelSabine GarbarinoYaquta FatehiJenny Stankowski
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2.2.5. Types of Approaches

"Top-Down" Approaches Driving Systemic Reform: the Regulatory Guillotine in Moldova In 2003, USAID's Support to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Development (BIZPRO) project partnered with the government of Moldova (GOM) in support of national-level reform. Following a World Bank-sponsored presentation on the benefits of the "regulatory guillotine," the GOM became determined to drive systemic reform using this method.

5.6.10. GFSR Protocol

The Global Food Security Response (GFSR) framework—a response to the global food crisis—includes three components:

5.3.2.3. BEE Ranking and Benchmarking

Ranking and Benchmarking Reports International BEE ranking and benchmarking reports—which compare enabling environment conditions across regions or countries—have gained popularity in recent years as effective tools for conducting BEE baseline assessments, facilitating dialogue and the identification of key competitiveness constraints or opportunities, and providing a means of measuring ongoing improvements in the enabling environment.

5.2.8. Competitiveness Impacts of Business Environment Reform (CIBER)

  Competitiveness Impacts of Business Environment Reform (CIBER) Recently, USAID developed and pilot tested the Competitiveness Impacts of Business Environment Reform (CIBER) tool in order to 1) engage value chain participants in identifying the aspects of the regulatory environment that most negatively affect value chain competitiveness; 2) quantify the costs and benefits of implementing required reforms; and 3) develop practical and effective advocacy plans for achieving reform.

2.2.4. BEE and the Post-Conflict Context

Selecting Reforms in Post-Conflict Contexts The highest priority needs in post-conflict countries are often employment and stability. Reconstruction activities generally focus on ensuring access to clean water and basic provisions, rebuilding infrastructure and establishing rule of law. But in many post-conflict environments, policy constraints can also create bottlenecks in key industries and drive up prices, thereby decreasing the impact of development funds.

2.2.3. Benefits of BEE Reform

Growth Inappropriate regulation imposes costs on both the private sector and the government, reducing productivity and slowing growth. Reforming the business enabling environment allows businesses to spend less time and money dealing with regulations, instead focusing their energies on producing and marketing their goods. Government can spend fewer resources regulating and more resources on public investment and providing social services.

5.2.12 Supporting Markets Resources

Illustrative Interview Guides for Assessing Supporting Markets, Action for Enterprise PROFIT 2008 Annual Report, USAID/Zambia-funded project. Evaluability Assessment of PROFIT Zambia, Snodgrass, Don; Woller, Gary; 2006. <

2.2.1. Regulatory Components

Introduction The regulatory environment influences the choices investors and entrepreneurs make in locating, operating and expanding their businesses. Businesses’ ability to access credit, enforce contracts, buy property, process goods through customs, pay taxes and conduct other everyday activities efficiently depends on a business environment that protects property rights without unnecessarily burdensome or inappropriate regulations.

3.2.2.4. Engaging End Market Buyers

The end-market buyers who provide valuable input for developing a value chain’s competitiveness strategy may not be its most suitable clients.

1.3.2. Business Enabling Environment - Overview

What is the Business Enabling Environment? The business enabling environment (BEE) includes norms and customs, laws, regulations, policies, international trade agreements and public infrastructure that either facilitate or hinder the movement of a product or service along its value chain. At one end of the spectrum, conventions, treaties, agreements and market standards shape the global business enabling environment.

5.3.1.9. Phase 2 Tools: Communications

Once target markets are understood and a strategy for activating new market segments emerges, active communication and engagement of value chain stakeholders is critical to a real understanding of the results and sufficient confidence in the data to make business decisions that will allow firms to pursue the new proposed strategy.

5.3.1.8. Phase 2 Tools: Choices

Detailed SWOT Analysis The end result of all the data collection and analysis conducted during Phases 1 and 2 is to first make choices about what customer segments should be pursued and what the strategy should be to pursue them. One way to integrate the four Cs above into this analysis is with a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis. Context is used for the internal factors (SW), while Channels, Customers and Competitors are integrated into the external factors (OT).

5.3.1.6. Phase 1 Tools: Communications

Single vs. Double Loop Learning One of the biggest challenges in upgrading the competitiveness of value chains is promoting collaboration and even rational discussion among value chain actors who may have never worked together before and probably do not trust each other.

5.3.1.5. Phase 1 Tools: Choices

Shaded Grid Analysis As discussed above, the final result of end-market research is the ability to make choices about what market segments to pursue. At the end of Phase 1 for the Afghan DFN value chain, the team was looking for a clear choice on what one or two markets should be targeted for a full primary research effort. During the early months of the DFN engagement, stakeholders mentioned the following four markets as current or potentially interesting future markets to pursue: UK, Russia, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

5.3.1.3. Phase 1 Tools: Customers

Boston Consulting Group Matrix Identifying the best market segments for a particular value chain is challenging, yet an absolutely critical step in formulating a competitiveness strategy. Ideally, value chain projects should start from the customer or market and move backward to configure the entire industry to serve and even anticipate the needs of chosen market segments.

5.3.1.2. Phase 1 Tools: Channels

Market Map The first step in understanding channels is to create a market map that tracks the flow of goods from either the producer or exporters all the way to the end consumer. The objective of this exercise is to highlight the full range of distribution options available to clients in the value chain and the relative importance (in terms of volume percentages) of the various channels. This analysis is usually done via a small number of targeted interviews with buyers or members of the value chain who understand how goods flow to the end customer.

5.3.1.1. Phase 1 Tools: Context

Porter’s Diamond of National Advantage Michael Porter’s Diamond of Competitive Advantage is an excellent way to gain a quick strategic view on the status of an industry. The four components of the diamond can be used to analyze the current domestic industry and identify areas of relative strength and weakness relative to similar industries in other countries. Each section of the diamond works as a system and reinforces the inputs from the other attributes.

3.2.2.1. Backward Market Research Process

Once Phase 1 is completed and clear choices have been made about what markets warrant focused research, planning for a major primary research campaign can begin. In many cases, this planning starts with a vague definition of the problem at hand or a statement about the lack of information for a certain market or product.