Launching a Community of Practice for Market Engagement

Initial Champions Meeting

Agenda

•What are we trying to accomplish?

1•W

hy do we think the time is now?

2

•What are some ideas on how to start?

3

•A case study to learn from - MaFI

4

•What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?

5

What are we trying to accomplish?

Establish a community of practice in the area of market engagement that thrives based on inputs

from and participation of a wide-range stakeholders across the organization.

So that…

No 1: Accelerat

e our internal learning

cycle

No 2: Make it easier to access and apply lessons

from across CARE

No 3: Improve project and programming impact

No 4: Expand

our professio

nal develop

ment opportunities

Outcomes

What do we want to accomplish?

Agenda

•What are we trying to accomplish?

1•W

hy do we think the time is now?

2

•What are some ideas on how to start?

3

•A case study to learn from - MaFI

4

•What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?

5

# 1 Institutional Momentum CO long-term program focus on food security (among other themes) with

private sector as key actor

CARE Market Engagement Strategy making gains

CIUK PPA IV just getting started with private sector and market engagement as strong themes

CARE Canada near completion of EED strategy

Vision 2020 and CUSA redesign focus on inter-dependency & improved knowledge management

CUSA launch of SE Initiative in 2011

# 2 CO Demand Capacity to Respond

Demand from country offices 48 registrants for e-course across 20 countries in 3 weeks More than 100% growth in SEAD Chat listserv in past 18 months Over 18 long-term food security programs now designed

Donors and corporations increasingly focused on private sector engagement and value chains and interested in (paying for) learning

Existing projects are generating substantial lessons locally that could be better shared and informed

Growing convergence across CI Lead Members on institutional priorities

Infrastructure for a community largely in place

#3 Growing Infrastructure

CoP

Document Storage

Communications

Photos

Videos

Presentations

#4 Growing Set of Tools

CoP

#5 Organic Learning Agenda in Action

Food Security Ethiopia - PSNP Plus Bangladesh – Shouhardo Uganda - SCORE

Women’s Empowerment Bangladesh - SDVC GAAP Bolivia - Value Chain / Chuquisaca Mali, TZ, Malawi, India – Pathways Program

BoP Service Models Zambia – Agrodealers Ghana, India - RSP Peru – Technical Assist. Providers

Corporate Partnerships Bangladesh - Walmart Ghana – Cadbury, Kraft, Cargill Sri Lanka – Ethical Tea Partnership

Building blocks of a learning agenda that is

already active within CARE on issues related to

market engagement.

Agenda

•What are we trying to accomplish?

1•W

hy do we think the time is now?

2

•What are some ideas on how to start?

3

•A case study to learn from - MaFI

4

•What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?

5

Ideas for Getting Started

1. Listen and Learn• Internally from other CoPs, each other and target members• Externally from other CoPs, peer organizations, partners

2. Engage and activate champions• Define actionable priorities• Figure out translation issues• Share responsibility to pursue these

3. Promote CoP among target members • Reach beyond usual suspects. Get field and junior staff engaged• Use concrete opportunities for exchange as ‘hooks’

4. Continue to take an organic approach / follow the energy

Illustrative Opportunities1. Launching the M&E Guide

• Conduct a series of webinar trainings throughout the spring

2. Introducing the CARE Canada EED Strategy• Post for comment on common online space. Disseminate via

webinar.

3. Learning with PPA IV• Technical leads in CIUK PSE team use communications tools to help

document and share lessons as they move forward

4. Sharing the Asia Workforce Empowerment Workshop• Presentations posted to Slideshare. Summary “CARE Talk” Video.

5. Advancing the Graduation Learning Theme• Webinar presenting final evaluation findings

Ideas on Getting StartedBe Realistic! Focus on practical achievable steps.

– Agree on management structure, participation and roles

– Agree on platform to serve as the “glue” or CARE Market Engagement coffee shop

– Start recruiting people to join this

– Identify and successfully execute a limited set of sharing opportunities

People that Can Support This

• Central management– Christian, Gianluca, Tess and Andrea all committed to spend some

time supporting this process– Fabienne and Vianney also interested – CARE USA interns will also be supporting this– Very open to and encouraging of other contributions to central

management

• Advancing learning themes– Some can come from central management but majority will need to

come from others– Central management can help by advising on learning processes

and/or facilitating the use of CoP tools and infrastructure

Agenda

•What are we trying to accomplish?

1•W

hy do we think the time is now?

2

•What are some ideas on how to start?

3

•A case study to learn from - MaFI

4

•What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?

5

What is MaFI? The SEEP Network is a nonprofit network of over 120

international organizations that believe in the power of microenterprise to reduce global poverty• SEEP is investigating the most pressing issues in the microenterprise

development industry to find effective, replicable solutions.

The Market Facilitation Initiative is one of SEEP’s Enterprise Development efforts• MaFI is advancing the practice of inclusive market development

facilitation worldwide.

Much more than a space for talking...

time

trust + joint vision

LEARNING

PEER-SUPPORT

JOINT ACTION

Building Trust and Reciprocity

•Long-term interactions

•Members know who is who

•The power of LinkedIn to build your own professional network

•“MaFI changed the way I work on a daily basis, as it is like having an additional layer of colleagues around the world eager to support, and whom I can support as well when needed […]” (Gianluca Nardi, Nov 2011)

Listeners (staying tuned & spreading the voice)

Committed members (changing the world)

A learning agenda focused on:

Subsidies

Horizontal & Vertical Linkages

Capacity Building

Impact Assessment (new!)

… while responsive to members’ needs.

Communication Model for MaFI

D-Groups

SEEP Library, MaFI-licious and Slideshare

LEVEL 1: SEEP’s SharePoint (Tens)

LEVEL 2: LinkedIn Group

(Hundreds)

LEVEL 3: Facebook Page (Thousands)

Twitter

Local Learning Groups (LLGs)

Principles for Model Design

Proactive: Reach members where they already spend most of their time

Diverse: Use different channels to reach different segments of members

Adaptable: Give options for members to share and network

Predictable: Help members plan their time and know what is coming

Simple: both in operation and looks

Main Features (I)Multiple communication channels

• Sharepoint, LinkedIn, Facebook and listserve

Viral communication and promotion• Through members’ networks in LinkedIn & Facebook• Through the integration of MaFI-licious and Twitter updates,

Slideshare uploads, reading lists and blogs

Face-to-face and virtual interactions• Local Learning Groups• Short online discussions (1-3 days)• Webinars and Skype calls (small groups)

Main Features (II)Membership based on expertise & engagement• Only members who contribute to discussions and problem-

solving can be in levels 1 and 2• “Listeners” will stay informed via Facebook & listserve

Expert Review Panel for special products• To increase legitimacy and influence• Constituted by reputable professionals

Regular updates and newsletters• From very quick and short (via Twitter) to periodic and more

elaborated newsletters

Main Features (III)Easy navigation and operation

• Using platforms that are constantly innovating and most members are already using or plan to use

• Members can choose which discussions to follow

Powerful networking (through LinkedIn)• Members can access one another’s networks

Measurable activity• Number of members & visits to documents, quality of

discussions & knowledge products, satisfaction levels

Guest “stars” to spur debates

MaFI Take Aways for CARE

Support multiple audiencesBuild multiple channels and ways to engageDo this for both ‘world changers’ and ‘listeners’

Think about incentives at all points Go to where people already are for virtual discussionBase membership on potential to contributeEstablish social contracts to ensure active participationFocus on learning themes / task forces that people are

already advancing through their day-to-day work

Agenda

•What are we trying to accomplish?

1•W

hy do we think the time is now?

2

•What are some ideas on how to start?

3

•A case study to learn from - MaFI

4

•What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?

5

What are your thoughts, ideas and interests?