UNDERSTAND SYSTEMS AND MARKETS
UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEMS AND MARKETS SHAPING YOUR OUTCOME.
Program success is rarely determined by one organization, one actor or one intervention. It can be influenced by markets, institutions, relationships, incentives, value chains, policies and the conditions in which people and organisations operate.
ClerkMaster’s research helps organizations understand these wider systems, the actors within them and the market conditions that influence program success.
SYSTEMS AND MARKETS
Outcomes are shaped by more than the program itself.
A program may be well designed and well implemented, yet the wider environment can influence what happens.
Markets can affect access and availability.
Institutions can affect delivery.
Stakeholders can influence decisions.
Value chains can create bottlenecks.
Relationships can determine how information, resources and opportunities move.
Understanding these systems helps organisations see the wider conditions surrounding a programme and identify the actors, relationships, constraints and opportunities that may influence outcomes.
WHAT THIS RESEARCH HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND
See the system around the intervention.
ACTORS
Who are the key people and organisations involved?
Identify relevant actors, institutions and stakeholders and understand their roles within the system.
RELATIONSHIPS
How are the different actors connected?
Examine relationships, influence, interests, information flows and linkages between actors.
MARKETS
What is happening in the market?
Assess demand, supply, prices, accessibility, service availability and market constraints.
VALUE CHAINS
How do products and services move through the system?
Map actors and flows from production through processing and distribution to end markets and identify bottlenecks and opportunities.
INSTITUTIONS
What institutional conditions affect implementation?
Assess institutional capacity, governance, systems and resources.
LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION
How are households and enterprises participating in markets?
Examine livelihoods, income, productive assets, employment, enterprise, agriculture and participation in markets.
UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM
Nothing operates in isolation.
A market or program is influenced by multiple actors, relationships, institutions, rules, incentives and supporting functions. Market Systems Studies examine how these elements interact within a market system.
MARKET AND STAKEHOLDER MAPPING
Know who matters, how they connect and where influence sits.
Market & Stakeholder Mapping identifies:
- Key actors
- Institutions
- Relationships
- Influence
- Interests
- Market linkages
- Gaps affecting program implementation
RAPID MARKET ASSESSMENTS
When decisions cannot wait, understand the market quickly.
Rapid Market Assessments provide a rapid assessment of market functionality, demand, supply, prices, accessibility, service availability and constraints to support time-sensitive decisions.
MARKET SYSTEMS STUDIES
Understand how the pieces interact.
Market Systems Studies examine how actors, institutions, rules, incentives and supporting functions interact within a market system. This can help organisations understand how wider market conditions influence program outcomes and where constraints or opportunities exist.
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ACTORS
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INSTITUTIONS
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RULES
04
INCENTIVES
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SUPPORTING FUNCTIONS
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS
Follow the value from production to the end market.
Value Chain Studies map actors and flows from production through processing and distribution to end markets, helping identify bottlenecks and opportunities.
LIVELIHOODS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Understand how people and enterprises participate in markets.
Livelihoods & Economic Development Studies examine:
- Household livelihoods
- Income
- Productive assets
- Employment
- Enterprise
- Agriculture
- Participation in markets
INSTITUTIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
Can the institutions within the system deliver effectively?
Institutional & Organisational Assessments examine:
- Capacity
- Governance
- Systems
- Resources
- Ability to deliver services or programmes effectively
SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS
Understand the connections that influence the system.
Social Network Analysis examines:
- Relationships
- Influence
- Information flows
- Connectivity among actors
MARKET SURVEYS & PARTICIPATORY MARKET MAPPING
Combine market measurement with the perspectives of market actors.
MARKET SURVEYS
Measure what is happening in the market.
Quantify market characteristics such as:
- Demand
- Supply
- Prices
- Access
- Service availability
PARTICIPATORY MARKET MAPPING
Map the market with the people within it.
Bring market actors together to collectively map:
- Relationships
- Constraints
- Opportunities
DESK RESEARCH
Not every systems question starts with fieldwork.
Desk Research synthesises existing:
- Market evidence
- Institutional evidence
- Socioeconomic evidence
- Administrative evidence
QUESTIONS THIS HELPS YOU ANSWER
What do you need to understand about the system?
ACTORS
Who are the key actors and institutions?
RELATIONSHIPS
How are these actors connected?
MARKETS
How are demand, supply, prices and access changing?
VALUE CHAINS
Where are the bottlenecks and opportunities?
INSTITUTIONS
What institutional constraints affect delivery?
LIVELIHOODS
How are households and enterprises participating in markets?
INFLUENCE
Who influences decisions, resources or outcomes?
OPPORTUNITIES
Where are the opportunities for improving the system?
WHAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN LEARN
See where the system is working and where it is constrained.
WHAT MATTERS
Identify the actors and institutions within the system.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
Understand relationships, incentives, structures and flows.
WHERE THE CONSTRAINTS ARE
Identify bottlenecks, gaps and barriers.
WHERE OPPORTINITIES EXIST
Identify areas where changes or interventions may support improved outcomes.
Understand the system before trying to change it.
ClerkMaster helps organisations understand the actors, relationships, markets, institutions, value chains and conditions that influence programme success.
What is shaping the outcome you are trying to change?
Let’s identify the actors, relationships, market conditions and system-level factors you need to understand.