Is the ‘MSD hockey stick’ a fable or a fact? Early lessons from the USAID ex-post series
- Partner: BEAM Exchange, Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP), DAI
- Publication Type: Blog
- Date: November 12, 2024
- Team: Ben Fowler
- Recommended Citation: Fowler, Ben.”Is the 'MSD hockey stick' a fable or a fact? Early lessons from the USAID ex-post series.” Prepared by Ben Fowler (MarketShare Associates) for BEAM Exchange, November 12, 2024. https://beamexchange.org/community/blogs/2024/11/12/early-lessons-from-the-usaid-ex-post-series/.
Four years ago, in collaboration with Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships Activity and DAI, we set out to investigate what evidence exists for the famed MSD ‘hockey stick’ effect. The idea is that MSD programming – by focusing on facilitation to achieve deeper, systemic changes – delivers more sustainable and scalable results than programs using more direct programming approaches.
But does this play out in practice, or is it more theory than reality?
This blog synthesizes insights from USAID’s Ex-Post Evaluation Series to highlight the transformative impact that Market Systems Development (MSD) can drive across programs, revealing early lessons with actionable recommendations for broader impact.
RELATED WEBINAR: Watch the BEAM Grab the Mic webinar from November 5, 2024: Reviewing the latest evidence: what impact has the MSD approach achieved?
This blog was originally published by BEAM Exchange on November 12, 2024.
