Report
Promoting systemic change in shallow markets
Lessons from Phase 1 of the Market Development Facility
This paper is based on the experience and lessons learnt by the Australian-funded Market Development Facility (MDF). MDF was implemented by Cardno during Phase I (2011-2017) and Palladium and Swisscontact in Phase II (2017-2022).
MDF is a multi-country, market systems development programme. It started in Fiji in 2011, Timor-Leste in 2012, Pakistan in 2013 and Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka in 2015. MDF supports businesses and other market actors with innovative ideas, investment and regulatory reform that will improve business performance, stimulate economic growth and provide benefits for poor women and men as workers, producers and consumers.
The report explores how systemic change happens in shallow markets and the implications for MSD practitioners.
It uses examples drawn from three of the five countries, Fiji, Timor-Leste and Pakistan, where MDF has been operating for more than four years. It is intended to encourage discussion and innovation in the MSD community on how to better promote systemic change in shallow markets.