'Making Markets Work' - Training Programme: 13 - 25 July 2008, Glasgow, UK

How can development agencies and governments improve markets for businesses and for poor people?

Increasingly it is recognised that markets are central to the task of development agencies and governments. Where markets - for services, commodities and products - function well they allow businesses and poor people to benefit from and contribute to growth. Yet, clearly, markets often do  not  offer this opportunity. A range of factors - structures, skills, information, attitudes and rules - can and do undermine market development. A key challenge for agencies and governments is to address these constraints to harness the potential of markets to bring about large-scale and lasting impact.

Making Markets Work

This unique programme provides an in-depth focus on developing markets and, in particular, on the strategic and practical implications for organisations as they adopt more market-oriented approaches. The programme builds on the Springfield Centre's experience over the last nine years in offering training on the market development approach (also known as 'Making Markets Work for the Poor' or 'M4P'). More than 700 people from over 40 countries have benefited from Springfield training. The programme applies a market development framework to a broad range of market situations and organisations.

Training for decision-makers, managers and specialists

Staff from funding agencies, international NGOs, consulting firms, governments and other promotion agencies involved in different spheres of private sector development - such as SME promotion, agriculture, financial services, rural livelihoods, governance, business environment and sector competitiveness - are expected to participate. Typically their areas of responsibility will include programme design, management, evaluation and co-ordination.

Practical emphasis on market development intervention rationale, project design and management issues, including:

▪Markets in the wider economic environment and development context
▪Understanding and assessing market systems
▪Sustainability and exit strategies
▪Complementary roles of public and private organisations
▪Supply-side and demand-side intervention approaches
▪Monitoring and evaluation

Participants can select subjects matching their interests, such as value chains, consumer research tools, agriculture, financial services, public service reform and impact assessment, drawing on an experienced international faculty.