Call for practitioners: What works in designing interventions?

If you have designed interventions within a programme that uses a market systems approach, such as M4P, we would like to hear from you!

Nathan Associates has been commissioned by the BEAM Exchange to undertake a research programme: From analysis to action – What works in designing interventions based on market systems analysis? Our methodology is built on engagement with practitioners. If you have designed interventions within a programme that uses a market systems approach, such as M4P, we would like to hear from you. 

‘How do you design effective interventions based on your market analysis?’
‘Which tools and guidance will help to make the right decisions?’ 

Nathan Associates London are working in collaboration with the BEAM Exchange to conduct a research project that will engage with practitioners to understand how this crucial step in any market systems development initiative is undertaken. Lessons and practical guidance will be drawn from this research to help practitioners use market systems approaches.

Programmes often struggle when translating market systems diagnostic work into effective interventions. Although existing literature provides good guidance on the methodologies and tools used to undertake market diagnostics, it is limited in explaining how to then develop optimal interventions. 

Nathan Associates will conduct research to understand how practitioners are undertaking this process and to shed some light on what works and what doesn't, in what contexts, markets and types of programme. We will identify a number of key determinants that affect the quality and effectiveness of this crucial step towards the design of interventions that do achieve systemic change. Learning and guidance will be drawn out and shared with the practitioners and the rest of the market systems community.

Practical guidance can only be built on practical experience. Our approach and methodology will be built on engagement with the practitioner community. We will reach out to all those who have hands on experience in the design of interventions within market systems development initiatives. The bulk of our data will be generated through interviews with this group (we will also be reviewing the literature). We anticipate that, as the process progresses, issues and questions will arise which we will pursue further, using the BEAM Exchange platform. We aim to complete the research by March of 2016 and will be sharing the results through BEAM Exchange webinars and publications. 

We are reaching out to the market systems community of practitioners across the globe to share their experience. We need your participation to make this research as insightful and relevant as possible. If you are interested to participate in one of our interviews please contact me at: mschulz@nathaninc.com.

Maximilian Schulz is a consultant at Nathan Associates London specialising in private sector development and the market systems approach. He works as a Researcher for the ‘From analysis to action – What works in designing interventions based on market systems analysis?’ research programme.

Find out more about BEAM's research.