Shows
Inclusive Plug powered by RECONOMYDoes the Market Systems Development Approach Work in Practice? (Part I)Whether the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach works in practice is a hot topic in development.
For this episode, we have interviewed:
- Maja Rüegg, who’s leading the working area Skills, Jobs and Income at Helvetas. She provides thematic support on market systems development for projects working on agricultural value chains and labour markets. Her advisory expertise also covers monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Previously, Maja worked in rural development projects in Tanzania and Madagascar. She has also done research in Kyrgyzstan and Bolivia on topics related to rural economy. She has worked in...
2021-04-2837 min
The Systemic Insight podcastChris Corrigan: in our most creative moments, we feel invited into working togetherIn this episode of the Systemic Insight Podcast, Marcus talks with Chris Corrigan. Chris is a facilitator and an expert in complexity-sensitive facilitation techniques. He has been using similar methods and frameworks as Mesopartner, such as for example the Cynefin framework, developed by Prof. Dave Snowden. Chris describes himself as a process artist, a teacher and a facilitator of social technologies for face to face conversation in the service of emergence. His business is supporting invitation: the invitation to collaborate, to organise, to find one another and make a difference in our communities, organisations and lives. Marcus...
2020-06-291h 28
The Systemic Insight podcastDr Toby Lowe #2: responding to Covid-19 with human learning systemsMarcus is welcoming back Dr Toby Lowe to the show! The Covid-19 crisis has hit the world and so many things have changed in the short time since we talked to Toby last. Particularly, ideas on complexity and systems thinking have suddenly gained a lot of traction as people realise that the world is indeed an uncertain place and the certainty that we imagined to be in, pre-crisis, was not to last forever. Marcus discusses with Toby how this plays out in the world of social interventions, which has many parallels with the world of international development, as we...
2020-04-281h 01
The Systemic Insight podcastDr Toby Lowe: why outcome-based performance management doesn’t workIn this episode, Marcus is talking to Dr Toby Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Public Leadership and Management at Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University. Toby describes his purpose as an academic as helping improve the funding, commissioning and performance management of social interventions (across the public, private and voluntary sectors). His research team has used complexity theory to create a critique of New Public Management approaches, particularly highlighting the problems created by attempts to use Outcome-Based Performance Management (e.g. Payment by Results) in complex environments. The discussion touches upon why outcome measures distort rather than enhance performance...
2020-03-191h 08
The Systemic Insight podcastOn CompetitivenessIn this episode, Shawn and Marcus discuss the concept of competitiveness. The chat was inspired by some reading Marcus had been doing that condemned competition to be part of the driving force that makes our society so extractive and unequal. In particular, Marcus is using two quotes from Daniel Wahl’s book ‘Designing Regenerative Cultures’ to exemplify the argument. To contrast this viewpoint, Shawn and Marcus explore the positive aspects of competition and why competitiveness and in particular systemic competitiveness in the way it is used by Mesopartner and others still are and will remain important concepts in economic development - and w...
2019-12-0423 min
The Systemic Insight podcastAn interview with Kristin O' Planick on market systems resilienceIn this Podcast, Marcus Jenal interviews Kristin O’Planick from USAID’s Bureau for Food Security about the agency’s recent work on market systems resilience. Kristin is part of a team that has been developing a new framework to capture market system resilience, which is currently going through early field testing. The framework builds on similar ideas as Mesopartner has been using on its work on resilience. For more information on our work on managing economic complexity and change, visit www.systemic-insight.com. This podcast is brought to you by mesopartner.com
2019-06-1119 min
The Systemic Insight podcastAn interview with Jeanne DowningJeanne Downing, Senior Enterprise Development Advisor, Office of Microenterprise Development, USAID talks about the discussions she and her colleagues have within USAID about the necessity of using a systemic approach in development. She mentions the need to switch away from linear approaches towards approaches that are better able to capture the complexities of real world phenomena, especially when taking into account the new focus on resilience, which puts a further layer of complexity on the work in market systems. With regard to Monitoring and Evaluation frameworks, Jeanne gives examples of work that has already been done to make them...
2013-03-1122 min
The Systemic Insight podcastAn interview with Prof. Dave SnowdenIn this episode, Marcus Jenal interviews Dave Snowden. The podcast explores the recognition that development takes place in a dynamic, complex system and the resulting consequences for monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Current monitoring and evaluation frameworks are built around predefined outcomes and based on assumptions of causal, linear, and attributable connections between a project's activities and changes at its outcome and impact levels. Based on complex systems research, these assumptions tend not to reflect the reality of complex systems, such as markets or communities. Dave Snowden introduces emerging theories and tools that allow us to embrace complexity...
2013-02-2720 minThe Systemic Insight podcastAn interview with Shamim Bodhanya about the characteristics of complex adaptive systems In this episode, Marcus interviews Dr Shamim Bodhanya. The podcast explores the origins of complex adaptive systems research and the application of its findings to development work. Bodhanya explains the characteristics of complex adaptive systems and their consequences in social systems such as the economy. He stresses the need to include multiple perspectives to develop a systemic view of markets and allow for solutions from within the system to involve rather than prescribe top-down solutions. In this sense, he points out, development project needs to be co-constructed by multiple stakeholders. Project goals should not be predefined and b...
2013-02-1018 minThe Systemic Insight podcastIntroducing the Systemic Insight podcast seriesIn this first episode, Marcus and Shawn introduce the podcast series. Some of the key issues of economic development from a systems perspective are discussed. For more information on our work on managing economic complexity and change, visit www.systemic-insight.com. This podcast is brought to you by mesopartner.com
2013-02-0315 min
LEDCastThe Political Economy at district level in IndonesiaIn this LEDCast episode Christian Schoen of mesopartner and Dr. Christian von Luebke of Stanford University discuss the political economy at the district level in Indonesia. Christian von Luebke is a political economist with particular interest in governance and economic development in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia.
The conversation focuses on two research projects: The Political Economy of the Local Investment Climate in Indonesia und The Political Economy of Local Governance against the background of the recent democratisation and decentralisation processes in Indonesia. In a nutshell, the interview tries to find an answer to the crucial question...
2010-06-2141 minLEDCastExperiences in Cluster Development - interview with LindqvistIn this episode, Frank Wältring of mesopartner interviews Dr. Göran Lindqvist on the learning experiences in cluster development since 2003. Dr. Lindqvist is an associate at the Center for Strategy and Competitiveness (CSC) at the Stockholm School of Economics. He is also a co-author of the Cluster Greenbook (2003) and several other publications on clusters.
Please remember to send us your comments!
2010-02-1200 minLEDCastLEDCast: Cluster facilitationIn this LEDCast episode, Frank Waeltring interviews Ifor Ffowcs-Williams on the role of a "cluster facilitator". The difference between cluster management and cluster facilitation is discussed. Different kinds of funding and its implications are also elaborated on and the roles of different cluster facilitators are described. The main challenges for future cluster initiatives are also explored. Frank Waeltring is a partner in mesopartner (www.mesopartner.com). Ifor Ffowcs-Williams is an international cluster development expert and CEO of the niche economic development consulting firm Cluster Navigators (http://www.clusternavigators.com). His blog site is at (http://e4oncompetitiveness.com/ ).
2010-01-1824 minLEDCastLED in post recovery disaster areasIn this episode, Dr. Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke of mesopartner interviews professionals of the international NGO World Vision: Elvire Douglas, Humanitarian Emergency Officer in Haiti and Treganna Myrabo, Economic Recovery Coordinator at the International Center in Monrovia, USA. The interview highlights why it is needed to include an economic perspective from the beginning in the response process to natural and man-made disasters.Please post your comments and questions to us!
2009-08-3012 minLEDCastNatasha Walker on facilitation - part 2 of 2This is the 2nd part of the interview between Shawn Cunningham and Natasha Walker on facilitation.
2009-07-1025 minLEDCastNatasha Walker on facilitation - part 1 of 2Shawn Cunningham interviews Natasha Walker on the essence of facilitation. During the conversation they share some practical tips and also agree on many pet hates. The issues discussed range from dealing with so-called difficult participants, balancing the role of facilitator and expert, and managing group work and feedback sessions. For more information on Natasha visit www.ifok.de or http://natashafacilitator.wordpress.com/
2009-07-0825 minLEDCastAnnouncement of the death of Jorg Meyer-StamerAs many listeners are aware, Dr. Jorg Meyer-Stamer passed away on the 1st of May, 2009. In this short announcement Shawn Cunningham commit on behalf of mesopartner to continue publishing the LEDCast. To visit the condolonce page go to http://www.mesopartner.com/nc/dr-joerg-meyer-stamer/
2009-07-0801 minLEDCastCase #16: The Provincial Competitiveness Index in VietnamEdmund Malesky explains the conceptual foundation and the impact of the PCI, an exercise that has been running in Vietnam for some years, unleashing significant sub-national government efforts to create a more business-friendly environment.
2009-03-1235 minLEDCastInnovation #3: Analysing an innovation system in South AfricaJohn Lawson, Geoff Ritson and Jorg Meyer-Stamer discuss the outcomes of a RALIS exercise, i.e. a quick diagnosis of the innovation system around the Downstream Chemicals Technology Station at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
2009-02-0827 minLEDCastCase #15: Cluster promotion in Western Cape province, South AfricaNigel Gwynne-Evans of the Department of Economic Development in the Western Cape, South Africa, shares his experience with ten years of cluster promotion.
2009-01-2534 minLEDCastValue Chains #7: Lessons learnt in value chain promotionJorg Meyer-Stamer has a conversation with Jim Tomecko (GTZ, Thailand) on some of the main lessons learnt in value chain development initiatives.
2009-01-0928 minLEDCastA conversation with Jorg Meyer-Stamer, part 2Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke and Frank Waeltring interview Jorg Meyer-Stamer
on the second part of his career, working as an advisor and trainer and founding mesopartner. This is the second of two LEDcasts which come
as a companion to a book that Ulrich and Frank edited on the occasion
of Jorg's 50th birthday. This "birthday anthology" with contributions
from a number of renowned researchers and practitioners is available here.
2008-12-2921 minLEDCastA conversation with Jorg Meyer-Stamer, part 1Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke and Frank Waeltring interview Jorg Meyer-Stamer on the first part of his career, when he was working in academia and policy research. This is the first of two LEDcasts which come as a companion to a book that Ulrich and Frank edited on the occasion of Jorg's 50th birthday. This "birthday anthology" with contributions from a number of renowned researchers and practitioners is available here.
2008-12-2124 minLEDCastInnovation #2: Innovation SystemsShawn and Jorg explore the relevance of national, regional and sectoral innovation systems and discuss practical ways of changing the way in which they work.
2008-12-1223 minLEDCastInnovation #1: IntroductionKicking off a new series, Shawn and Jorg have a conversation on some basic concepts and issues around innovation.
2008-11-2919 minLEDCastCases #14: The evolution of carnival in TrinidadClive Pegus tells Ulrich Harmes-Liedtke how the carnival in Trinidad is an important factor in the local economy, not only due to its growth and the tourism it attracts but also because it has spawned carnivals in other cities around the world.
2008-11-1422 minLEDCastTools #11: The Boston MatrixIn another presentation from mesopartner's Africa Academy on LED, Colin Mitchell presents a variation of the Boston Matrix, a simple tool to investigate promising areas of specialisation for a given territory.
2008-11-0317 minLEDCastTools #10: The Leaking BucketIn a presentation from mesopartner's Africa Academy on LED, Afia Darkwa-Amanor presents the Leaking Bucket, a tool that allows to leverage money and other resources that usually flow out of the local economy for local economic development. Afia is a Senior Advisor in the gtz-supported LRED program in Ghana.
2008-10-2510 minLEDCastTools #9: Polarity managementIn a presentation from mesopartner's Africa Academy on LED, Shawn Cunningham presents the concept of polarity management, i.e. an approach to deal with opposing options to address a given issue in a constructive manner and avoiding extreme swings of a pendulum.
2008-10-1018 minLEDCastTools #8: The Vegetable Garden: A practical way to explain the "enabling environment"In a recording from mesopartner's first Africa Academy on LED, Sonja Ende uses the metaphor of a vegetable garden to explain the principles of an enabling environment and to highlight the appropriate role of government in LED.
2008-10-0312 minLEDCastConcept #9: Competition and competitivenessShawn and Jorg discuss why some people are uncomfortable with the notion of competition, what the upside and downside of competition is, and how to become competitive.
2008-09-1333 minLEDCastCases #13: IBA See -- Conversion of a former open pit mining regionMichael Feiler, project manager at IBA See, explains their experimental, innovation-focused approach to the conversion of a region that has been shaped by decades of open pit lignite mining.
2008-08-2928 minLEDCastConcept #8: Change managementJorg Meyer-Stamer and Grant McKenzie discuss what lessons Change Management has to offer for territorial development.
2008-08-1531 minLEDCastCases #12: LED in Bosnia and HerzegovinaZdravko Miovcic, director of EDA - Development Agency, Banja Luka, shares experiences and lessons learnt in many years of doing LED in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
2008-08-0121 minLEDCastConcept #7: Systemic competitivenessShawn Cunningham and Jorg Meyer-Stamer discuss the origin and main messages of the concept of Systemic Competitiveness, an approach that helps in formulating a holistic perspective of a local economy. More information, including the Benchmarking Table that we mention in the show, is available here.
2008-07-2529 minLEDCastCases #11: UNIDO's experience with cluster promotionMichele Clara, industrial development officer in the Cluster and Business Linkages Unit of the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) shares some of the lessons learnt over many years of cluster promotion.
2008-07-0425 minLEDCastCases #10: Using radio in local developmentSonja Ende interviews Kasim Abdukadir, who is running a small business-oriented programme in a local radio station in Niger province, Nigeria, and Veronique Stolz, who is with a GTZ programme and promotes developmental radio in Nigeria. The publication she mentions is available at http://www.led.co.za/docs/362.pdf.
2008-06-1319 minLEDCastCases #9: Business Development Committees in NigeriaSonja Ende interviews Margaret Joshua who is working with GTZ's LED programme in Nigeria. Margaret shares the experience with Business Development Committees that have been created at a local level in order to improve the local business environment.
2008-05-3021 minLEDCastTools #7: Managing expectationsJorg Meyer-Stamer and Colin Mitchell discuss why the management of expectations in development activities so often goes wrong.
2008-05-1716 minLEDCastTools #6: PACAShawn Cunningham and Jorg Meyer-Stamer discuss the background, main characteristics and evolution of the Participatory Appraisal of Competitive Advantage (PACA) method.
2008-05-0425 minLEDCastCases #8: The Genesis method in Amatole, South AfricaMpumi Fundam, responsible for LED in the Amatole district municipality (i e the region around East London) in South Africa, and Colin Mitchell, the author of the Genesis method, explain how Genesis helped Amatole to identify its potential competitive advantage, formulate a strategic perspective and identify catalytic projects.
2008-04-1921 minLEDCastCases #7: Training councillors on LEDJorg Meyer-Stamer interviews Zini Godden, a South African LED trainer and facilitator, on her experience with LED training courses for councillors, i.e. the elected representatives in local government.
2008-04-1216 minLEDCastCases #6: Tourism development in a World Cultural Heritage townUlrich Harmes-Liedtke has a conversation with Andrea Schunk who is involved in tourism development in Colonia de Sacramento, a world cultural heritage site in Uruguay.
2008-04-0423 minLEDCastTools #5: The Compass of Local CompetitivenessShawn and Jorg explain the Compass, a performance management tool for LED that turns the Balanced Scorecard into a practical and exciting workshop format. You can find a detailed description of the Compass here.
2008-03-2026 minLEDCastConcept #6: Market failureShawn Cunningham and Jorg Meyer-Stamer discuss the issue of market failure: What is it? How can you address it? And how does it relate to other modes of organising economic transactions?
2008-03-0728 minLEDCastConcept #5: One stop shopsChristian Schoen interviews David Walke on the subject of business registration. David explains the do's and don'ts in the introduction of one stop shops.
2008-03-0126 minLEDCastValue Chains #6: Social standardsJorg Meyer-Stamer interviews Peter Knorringa about social standards, the upcoming ISO 26 000 standard and the way in which local actors can respond to global standards.
2008-02-2212 minLEDCastCase #5: Starting LED in a marble sculpture cluster in VietnamShawn Cunningham and Christian Schoen share insights from a PACA Exercise in the Marble Mountain cluster close to Da Nang, Vietnam. In particular, they discuss how slightly shady business practices impact on LED.
2008-02-1520 minLEDCastValue Chains #5: Cut out the middleman? And then what?Mark Lundy and Jorg Meyer-Stamer discuss the middleman: Who is he, or she, why is s/he so important, why do local stakeholders often suggest to cut out the middleman, and why is this not necessarily a good idea.
2008-02-0723 minLEDCastConcept #4: Social CapitalPeter Knorringa (ISS, The Hague) explains what social capital is and how it can be addressed in LED.
2008-02-0115 minLEDCastCases #4: SEBRAE, SMEs, supplier development and value chainsUlrich Harmes-Liedtke interviews Vinicius Lages of SEBRAE, Brazil’s small business promotion organisation. He explains how an SME-oriented supplier development project with Petrobras evolved into a value chain project, how SEBRAE approaches the issue of certification of SMEs, and the link to territorial development. -- Apologies again for the poor sound quality, hopefully for the last time since Ulli recently purchased a new and much better recording device!
2008-01-2030 minLEDCastCases #3: Experiences with LED in South Eastern EuropeFrank Waeltring interviews LED practitioners from several South East European countries. They share some of their main learning processes.
2007-12-2023 minLEDCastValue Chains #4: Standards and certificationUlrich Harmes-Liedtke and Martin Doherty talk about the relevance of sanitary and phytosanitary standards in global value chains, their impact on producers, and possible responses by producers, including efforts to move into niche products or innovative, unusual products. -- We apologise for the poor sound quality of this recording.
2007-12-1537 minLEDCastTools #4: Mad - Glad - SadColin Mitchell explains a simple workshop format to engage with stakeholders at a very early stage of an LED process, asking them: What makes you mad? What makes you glad? What makes you sad?
2007-12-0816 minLEDCastValue Chain #3: CIAT's experiences in Central AmericaJorg Meyer-Stamer interviews Mark Lundy of the Agribusiness Group at the Center for Tropical Agriculture, www.ciat.cgiar.org. They talk about CIAT's "learning community" around value chain development, surprising experiences with powerful buyers, and what often goes wrong in value chain initiatives.
2007-11-2541 minLEDCastTools #3: Using the Five Forces Concept as a Workshop FormatShawn and Jorg explain how to use Michael Porter's Five Forces Concept as a tool in a quick workshop with local businesses from the same subsector.
2007-11-1819 minLEDCastValue Chains #2: Learning in Global Value ChainsJorg Meyer-Stamer interviews Lizbeth Navas-Aleman, fellow at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Sussex, about her research on the learning that takes place, or doesn't take place, as companies from developing countries are integrated into global value chains.
2007-11-1123 minLEDCastCase #2: Regional Economic Development in Central Java (gtz RED)Hayder Al-Bagdadi, Atjeng Kadaryana and Christian Schoen discuss the achievements and learning processes in the Regional Economic Development Programme [gtz-RED] in Central Java, Indonesia.
2007-11-0236 minLEDCastValue Chains #1 - IntroductionWith this show we start a new series in the LEDcast. We look at value chains: What are they? How are they relevant for local economic development? How can you promote them?
2007-10-1430 minLEDCastCase #1: LED in a poor rural location in South AfricaJörg Meyer-Stamer interviews John Lawson, an LED specialist currently involved in a major EU-supported LED programme in South Africa's Limpopo province. John reports on his experience with initiating an LED process in a poor rural municipality called Fetagkomo.
2007-09-2329 minLEDCastConcept #3: Business Retention and ExpansionGerry Delaney, a South African LED consultant, explains the main features of the Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) approach to LED.
2007-09-1626 minLEDCastTools #2: Designing an LED workshopIn this episode, Jörg Meyer-Stamer and Colin Mitchell continue their conversation on how to prepare a workshop. What are the issues that you consider when you design the sequence of activities in a given workshop? How do you make sure that the limited time is used effectively, and what do you do to get a practical result out of a workshop?
2007-09-0818 minLEDCastTools #1: Organising an LED workshop -- whom and how to inviteIn this episode, Jörg Meyer-Stamer and Colin Mitchell discuss one of the critical issues in the organisation of a workshop: How do you invite the right people? And how do you handle the management of expectations properly?
2007-09-0315 minLEDCastConcept #2: Local enabling environmentIn this episode, we present a conversation that was recorded at mesopartner's Summer Academy on Local Economic Development. Jim Tanburn shares his views on the topic of "local enabling environment" -- what it is, and what can be done to promote it. Jim is an international consultant who specialises in private sector development. He also administrates the Donor Committee's website, www.businessenvironment.org.
2007-08-2637 minLEDCastConcept #1 - What is a cluster?From now on, we will run parallel series on concepts, tools, cases, and specific issues. This is the first episode under 'concepts'. It addresses the topic of 'clusters' -- what are they, and why are they such in an issue in the context of local economic development?
2007-08-1931 minLEDCastReflecting on the first dozen episodesWith this episode we complete the first dozen. We take this as an occasion to reflect on our learning process, and to discuss some of the comments that we received from listeners.
2007-07-2324 minLEDCastLED at the ILOUlrich Harmes-Liedtke, mesopartner, interviews Martin Gasser of the ILO's International Training Center about the ILO's approach to LED.
2007-06-2320 minLEDCastThe three meanings of facilitation in LEDThe three meanings of facilitation in LED are facilitating a learning experience, a workshop or meeting, and an LED process. We discuss what often goes wrong in facilitation, and what to do about it.
2007-06-1627 minLEDCastLED as a processWe discuss why LED needs to be conceptualised as a process. It is crucial to build credibility, trust, confidence and creativity. An LED process is a learning process. It is also, unfortunately for external donors, somewhat unpredictable.
2007-05-2631 minLEDCastPro-poor Tourism and Local Economic DevelopmentChristian Schoen interviews Jonathan Mitchell about the relationship between the pro-poor tourism approach and local economic development.
2007-05-1930 minLEDCastTourism and LED in Da Nang, VietnamChristian Schoen (mesopartner) and Jonathan Mitchell (Overseas Development Institute) talk about their efforts to promote tourism through local economic development activities in the Vietnamese city of Da Nang.
2007-05-1924 min2007-05-0616 minLEDCastInvolving the business sector in LEDWhy is it often difficult to involve the business sector in LED? What can you do to raise their interest? At one point, we refer to Malcolm Gladwell's concept of "connectors". More information on this is available at http://www.gladwell.com/tippingpoint/tp_excerpt2.html.
2007-04-1930 minLEDCastLEDCastIn industrialized countries, LED has been practized for decades, whereas in developed countries it is a fairly recent phenomenon. Current practice in industrialized countries is the result of extensive learning-by-doing and trial-and-error processes. Practitioners in developing countries who want to learn for those experiences need to understand the evolutionary pattern of LED, and they need to ask the right questions to understand how current practice emerged.
2007-04-0714 minLEDCastLED in four types of regionsIn this programme, we discuss four different types of locations and the possible approaches to LED in each of them.
2007-03-2520 minLEDCastLEDCast: LED and StrategyIn this program, we discuss the difference between strategy and strategic planning and the meaning of strategy for LED. In the Podcast, we mention Henry Mintzberg's "5 Ps of Strategy". There is more information available at http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/dstools/paradigm/5pstrat.html We also mention David La Piana, the author of "Play to Win. The Nonprofit Guide to Competitive Strategy". You can find a Podcast where he presents some of his main ideas at http://cdn.conversationsnetwork.org/SI.CLB-DavidLaPiana-2006.08.19.mp3
2007-03-1922 minLEDCastLEDCast: Season 1: Why Local Economic Development?Why has Local Economic Development received so much attention in recent years, both by local actors and by national governments?
2007-03-0714 min