At Business for Development, we challenge conventional wisdom, test assumptions, bridge sectors, and embrace change to take measured risks and develop sustainable pathways to livelihoods. It’s through partnering across sectors and markets we achieve these possibilities.
Program management is what differentiates Business for Development – where ideas are turned into action. Our methodology is based on a phased approach – as seen in the Program Life-Cycle diagram below – to minimise risk and maximise validated learnings, driving better outcomes for all stakeholders involved.
Our clients rely on us to bring local knowledge, unparalleled technical expertise and community focus to some of their most complex Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) programs to achieve sustainable outcomes.
Our programs work to:
Every program is delivered to achieve the desired results while safeguarding the communities we serve.
Our programs typically follow the following life cycle:
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We first develop an understanding of the current state of the community through research, site visits, interviews, and surveys. Then we analyse relevant value chains to understand the root causes of market failure and identify opportunities with the highest likelihood of success and minimum risk to farmers. We develop recommendations for potential agricultural solutions considering social, economic, and environmental impacts. It is during this phase a review of off-take partners is also analysed.
Here small-scale implementation is used to prove the viability of a program idea and interest from the community. This could involve the exploration of a novel new approach or the application of a standard approach that requires testing in a new environment.
During implementation, we explore through trials what is the right inputs e.g. seeds, avenues to credit and finance, training, etc, to achieve the desired impact.
Throughout the program a number of trials are implemented, once the right mix of inputs and partners are in place, with the LINC Enterprise, the program scales.
Even when a program is scaling, it is important to continuously assess new options, e.g., new seed variants.
During implementation, we explore through trials what is the right inputs e.g. seeds, avenues to credit and finance, training, etc, to achieve the desired impact.
The focus during this phase is to identify opportunities with the highest likelihood of success and minimum risk to smallholder farmers. Here Business for Development provides an up-front review of off-take prospects for commodities, and what opportunities are worth further investigation.
Once sufficient validation has been achieved in the Feasibility Phase, learnings are consolidated and the program starts to be implemented with the community. During implementation, we explore through trials what are the right inputs to achieve the desired impact. Trials are conducted throughout implementation. The partnerships ecosystem is established to support the program e.g., off-take partners, banks, local government.
During this phase, a Long-term Inclusive (LINC) Enterprise is established. As the LINC Enterprise matures over time, its membership grows to impact more smallholder farmers and communities.
Our approach ensures the LINC Enterprise becomes more self-reliant and sustainable over time. Business for Development’s involvement gradually shifts from hands-on implementation to an advisory role as the community becomes more capable and empowered. The supportive ecosystem of leaders and influencers, developed since program initiation, becomes interwoven with the community.
Once the LINC Enterprise is self-reliant with an ecosystem of partners in place to ensure its long-term sustainability, Business for Development’s role is limited to advising, monitoring, and evaluating.
As part of the program management approach during the implement and scale phase, often a Long-term Inclusive (LINC) Enterprise (a type of social enterprise) is developed. The purpose of a LINC Enterprise is to protect the community’s interests by reducing risk to farmers and redistributing power in their favour. The structure of the LINC Enterprise is determined by the best business model for the community (e.g. cooperative, franchise, partnership). Over time, scale is achieved as the LINC Enterprise matures and its membership grows to impact more smallholder farmers and the broader community.
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