Field Staff Capacity for Market Facilitation

MaFI WebinarOctober 14, 2009

Thulasy Balasubramaniam,

Agriculture Value Chains Team

Engineers Without Borders Canada (EWB)

Overview

Introduction to EWB (2 min) Our work on organizational capacity (3 min) Field Staff Capacity Tool (20 min) The Tool as part of a larger process (10 min) Q&A

Introduction to EWB

Over 50 organisations in Africa on organisational capacity

Zambia, Malawi, Ghana, Burkina Long term secondments to partner

organisations to provide on-the-job support Dedicated support to over 15 organisations in

Zambia/Malawi for market facilitation We’re learning!

Our Hypothesis

Sustainable Change

=

Our Hypothesis

Sustainable Change

=Value Chain Approach

Market Facilitation

Our Hypothesis

Sustainable Change

=Value Chain Approach

Market Facilitation

Organisational Capacity

Key Elements of Organizational Capacity

Market

1. Field Staff

2. Management

4. Culture

5. Donor Relationships

3. M&E systems

We started with field staff…

We started with field staff…

• How does it differ from what I’m doing now?

• Why is this different?

We started with field staff…

• How does it differ from what I’m doing now?

• Why is this different?

• Am I able to do that?

We started with field staff…

• How does it differ from what I’m doing now?

• Why is this different?

• Did I make the right decision?

• Am I able to do that?

Significant Behaviour Change

Traditional Agriculture Project Market Value Chain Facilitation Approach

• ‘Known’ context (e.g., production, farmer and community level environment)

• Complex and dynamic system• Limited ability to predict outcomes

• Activities are more like service delivery • Linear set of activities

•Activities need to address overall systemic constraints•Adjust to dynamic nature of market• Organization needs to focused on learning and adjust activities

• Farmer focused • Neutral position and catalyzing adoption and ownership within value chain players but not becoming part of it

• Relies heavily on agronomy knowledge • Also needs business acumen

Creating the Field Staff Capacity Tool – Describing Desired Behaviours

Roles of Market facilitator

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Foundational Attitudes and Capacities

Using the Field Staff Capacity Tool – Example: Communicator (pg. 3)

Key Capacity Level 1 Level 2 Level 3Messaging: effective communication of information to various audiences using a variety of media, ensuring the information is tailored to the audience.

With direction, delivers pre-tailored messages, primarily to farmers.

Is able to focus information and deliver messages to farmers on own. With direction, delivers pre-tailored messages to other market actors.

Confidently delivers tailored messages to farmers, market actors, and other stakeholders (including management) with the intention of influencing decisions/discussions.

Active listening: engaging with and focusing on a speaker to deeply understand and appreciate what they are trying to convey to you.

Listens passively. Asks few clarifying questions.

Shows engagement with speaker through body language. Asks few questions to gain understanding.

Asks insightful questions, validates the speaker’s feelings and points, and encourages the speaker; leaves the speaker feeling ‘heard’

Investigative Reporting: constantly seeking to understand and share that understanding.

When directed, prepares narrative reports that log what happened.

Prepares concise reports that detail observations and provide analysis of those observations.

Constantly asks “why” the situation is as it is. Reports concisely and proactively with observations, analysis, and implications of the project work.

Using the Field Staff Capacity Tool – Foundational Skills and Characteristics (pg. 8)

Thinking Doing

Data Analysis: Able to gather evidence (quantitative and qualitative data), evaluate it, theorize trends and develop insights. Competent in statistical and mathematical analysis.

Manage Complexity:

Intelligently and continuously analyses large amounts of information about a complex system. Constantly steps back and looks at the bigger picture.

Strategic Thinking:

Prioritizes and plans activities based on achieving long-term outcomes.

Decision-making:

Makes confident decisions quickly based on sometimes imperfect information. Shows good judgment in ambiguous situations.

Self-Awareness: Humble, open, aware of own biases and assumptions.

Organized: Coordinates a number of different tasks involving a number of different actors at once.

Efficient Achieves outcomes quickly. Is resourceful and good at time management.

Independent Is able to work autonomously, with very little guidance.

Determined Is persistent, willing to keep trying despite experiencing failure. Is focused on the outcome and will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

High-Performing Strives for excellence in their work. Motivated by success in achieving goals.

Using the Field Staff Capacity Tool – What we found

Great Communicators and Relationship Builders, but only with farmers

Have latent understanding of Business Person role, but it needs to be extracted and exercised

Weak Coaches, need practice giving and receiving feedback, also need clarity on intensity (heavy/light) and timing (sequencing) of approach

Talent for Innovation, but do not feel the freedom to do it

Strong doers, weak thinkers

Lessons Learned

The Tool doesn’t measure field staff knowledge of value chain development or market facilitationField staff have high knowledge on the technical

aspects of agricultureBut they have low knowledge on value chain

development

Lessons Learned

The Tool doesn’t measure field staff knowledge of value chain development or market facilitationField staff have high knowledge on the technical

aspects of agricultureBut they have low knowledge on value chains

development The Tool describes behaviours but doesn’t help

cultivate desired attitudes and judgmentSignificant behaviour change is required

The Tool as part of a larger process…

Address Gaps Skills

Create Behavior Change

Attitude/Judgment

Trigger Mid-Set Shift

Knowledge

The Tool as part of a larger process…

Address Gaps Skills

Create Behavior Change

Attitude/Judgment

Trigger Mid-Set Shift

Knowledge

The Tool!??

??

Knowledge – Trigger Mind-Set Shift

Global Enabling Environment

National Enabling Environment

Financial (cross cutting)

Input Suppliers

Sector specific providers

Cross-cutting providers

Producers

WholesalersExporters

National Retailers

Processors/Traders

Global Retailers

Knowledge – Trigger Mind-Set Shift

•RelationshipsR•Ownership (Learning)O•Incentives (Benefits)I

Attitude/Judgment – Create Behaviour Change

Management

Field Facilitators

Donors

M&E as Reporting & Accountability• Longer time frame• Reporting to donors

1

Markets

2

M&E as Knowledge Management• Captures information• On-going and quick feedback loops• Improve decision making• Adjust interventions• Supports staff

Conclusions

Address Gaps Skills

Create Behavior Change

Attitude/Judgment

Trigger Mid-Set

ShiftKnowledge

Field Staff Capacity Development is an on-going process

Conclusions

Management approach is key

Management

Approach

Donor Relationsh

ips

M&E as a manageme

nt tool

Field Facilitators Capacity

Organizational

culture

Questions for you

Do you have feedback on the tool and the conclusions we’ve reached while using it?

What does it take to operationalize an on-going process of staff development?

How can we best select and support managers to manage this process?

What can donors do to create space for management to support their staff while managing an emergent strategy?

What can we do, as a community of practice, to ease this shift?

Questions??

…and thanks!