2023 Impact Stories
At MarketShare Associates, commitment to creating impact is core to our mission. As we reflect on the transformative year that was 2023, we’d like to share a few stories that spotlight the tangible difference our multifaceted evaluations, systems thinking, and inclusive approaches have made on a global scale. These narratives showcase the meaningful impact we’ve achieved with clients, and our dedication to driving systems change for economic development across the globe.
Redefining Norms: MSA’s Evaluation Reveals Edutainment’s Influence
Can something as simple as a TV show influence financial decision-making for women and youth?
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) initiated edutainment campaigns in 2023 to challenge existing social norms around financial behaviors that were identified through prior research. Exploring the interventions’ impact on social norms related to financial participation and decision-making, the campaigns spanned across TV shows, social media, and TEDx-style events – targeting young people and women in the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan.
A critical part of the equation included measuring the success of campaigns. MSA led evaluation of the edutainment campaigns, in collaboration with IFC, employing a randomized control trial approach with an encouragement design. In order to determine the effectiveness of edutainment campaigns, we tracked participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices over seven months. This research was a noteworthy follow-up to recommended interventions stemming from 2022 findings on social norms under the Central Asia Financial Inclusion project, funded by the Swiss Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
Running from October to December 2022, the edutainment campaigns made a significant mark, reaching more than 5.8 million individuals across both countries. This included about 79 percent and 30 percent of adult populations engaged in the Kyrgyz Republic and in Tajikistan, respectively.
While both countries demonstrated social norms behavior changes, Tajikistan’s findings were particularly promising. Participants in Tajikistan displayed more flexible norms and willingness to change savings, spending, and financial planning behaviors after being exposed to an edutainment campaign. Additionally, youth demonstrated increased engagement due to TV shows, with a notable uptick in opening e-wallets and using their bank accounts. The results showcased significant shifts, with adult women and youth showing the most responsiveness to direct messaging through ‘TED talk-like’ Money Talk events.
The impact of this evaluation sheds light on the potential of edutainment campaigns to transform long-standing norms and empower women’s and young people’s financial decision-making. Receiving the World Bank’s KNOWbel Runner-Up Award for delivering high-impact client solutions, MSA’s edutainment research with IFC under the Central Asia Financial Inclusion Project paves the way for further refinement and application of edutainment campaigns in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and beyond.
Systems at Work: MSA’s Strategic Hand in Rwanda’s ASF Market
The five-year USAID/Feed the Future Rwanda Orora Wihaze Activity (implemented by a consortium including Land O’Lakes Venture37, Catholic Relief Services, The Manoff Group, and Urunana DC) has made significant strides in reshaping the small livestock landscape in Rwanda. The Activity continues to enhance the availability and consumption of animal-sourced food (ASF), focusing on diverse sources like meat, eggs (chickens), pigs, goats, and fish. This comprehensive effort has boosted market access, facilitated financial support, and promoted ASF through targeted nutrition messaging.
MSA has stewarded an important piece of the puzzle to co-design, deploy, and monitor a market systems development (MSD) approach by applying a rapid learning methodology throughout the lifecycle of the Activity. By utilizing a quicker cycle evidence-based approach to design and decision-making, MSA has aided in the development of impactful new business models. For example, MSA’s learning support in partnering with a trusted regional NGO for pig artificial insemination awareness resulted in various private sector collaborations, enabling better and more efficient delivery services and last-mile distribution tactics. Our strategic assistance helped stakeholders choose the right partner at the right time, leading to a 43 percent increase in income and a 70 percent increase in productivity for participating farmers.[1]
The shift towards commercial animal farming has resulted in the growth of quality animal feed, the establishment of new slaughterhouses, distribution centers, and increased emphasis on sustainable practices in Rwanda. While global challenges affect input prices, smallholder producers are embracing commercial animal feed, resulting in higher satisfaction and income.
As the September 2024 conclusion of the Activity approaches, MSA focuses on sustaining achievements and evaluating systems change in Rwanda’s animal-sourced food and small livestock market. Our role includes designing pathways for Orora Wihaze’s partners to actively engage in the system, fostering inclusivity and sustainability. MSA is leading learning studies and systems change assessments, such as a rapid Outcome Harvest and a Market Systems Endline. Simultaneously, the team is collaborating with consortium partners to share valuable lessons, supporting further expansion, investment, and replication of successful models for continued impact.
[1] Please note that these are preliminary figures collected through a learning study that were designed using a purposive sample, not a statistically representative sample. The final impact evaluation will be conducted at the end of Year Five.
