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Our Expertise

Shallow frontier markets

OU has extensive experience working in shallow and frontier markets around the world. This expertise was built early on through the implementation of the Market Development Facility and has since been expanded and applied across a wide range of initiatives.

Examples of our expertise

Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) (2022 – 2026)

Donor: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Implementer: DT Global

OU is a member of the Technical Advisory Group, conducts periodic reviews and provides advice to donors and implementer on how to develop Pacific market systems including Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Vanuatu and several Pacific micro nations.

Donor: US Department of Agriculture (USDA); Implementer: Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

OU conducted a mid-term assessment, provided advice on how to strengthen the market strategy, partner portfolio and systemic outcomes for vanilla exports, conducted training workshops, provided implementation support to strengthen the investment portfolio and restructure the monitoring system.

Donor: Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC); Implementer: Swisscontact

OU developed knowledge products to explain the relevance of a systems approach to facilitate commercial investment and the economic inclusion of isolated riverine islands (‘chars’). This includes a report examining M4C’s work promoting Entrepreneurship and advocacy to facilitate the systemic inclusion of the chars and a explaining the programs efforts to institutionalize its systemic approach to char development through a public institution.

Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN); Implementer: International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

OU conducted the Mid-Term Review and provided ongoing implementation support to help the program adopt a systemic approach. OU supported the program to review market strategies, develop co-investment agreements with market actors, and establish a monitoring system to track their progress. The results and lessons learned are captured in this report on Hybrid Market Systems Development to Reinforce System Resilience and Climate Preparedness.

Donor: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN); Implementer: International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC)

OU conducted end-line research to identify project impact, provided advice on how to strengthen emerging systemic outcomes and how to monitor these.

OU Flagship initiative: Market Development Facility (MDF), Fiji, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste (2011 – 2018)

Donor: Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT); Implementer: Cardno (now DT Global)

The Australian Government’s flagship program to promote sustainable economic development. OU supplied the team leader (Harald Bekkers), who started and built up MDF from a single country, four-person team to a leading international AUD 48 million private sector engagement program, with more than 120 staff in five countries. OU also led technical innovation in applying market systems development in thin, shallow markets and outlined the rationale in the Messiness Series. OU also developed a systemic business-case approach to Women’s Economic Empowerment, and pioneered a new approach to mapping and measuring systemic change. A case study on promoting silage for livestock in Pakistan captures the story of OU’s work on triggering lasting systemic change.