Feed the Future Inova Business Cases

  • Partner: USAID, DAI
  • Publication Type: Business Cases
  • Date: February 10, 2022

The USAID Mozambique Feed the Future Agricultural Innovations Activity (FTF Inova), implemented by DAI in partnership with MSA, developed six business cases to offer tangible proof that enterprises can profit from investing in addressing challenges experienced by smallholder farmers. The business cases cover three themes: supply chain management; input distribution networks; and support services. Each business case summarizes the prevailing business model being applied, the new opportunity, what options were explored, the value proposition for smallholders and others, the timeline, return on investment, recommendations, and risks going forward.

Read More

Putting Gender at the Heart of Business Environment Reform

  • Partner: International Labour Organization (ILO)
  • Publication Type: Report
  • Date: October 25, 2021

This report charts some key entryways for better incorporating gender in business environment reform, with a focus both on policies themselves, and the processes for their proper implementation.

Read More

Beyond building: how social norms and networks shape mason construction practices in incremental homebuilding

  • Partner: Habitat for Humanity Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter
  • Publication Type: Journal Article
  • Date: September 1, 2021

How do low-income households and masons make house construction decisions? This three-country study examined social norms, networks, and information flows that influence construction practices in Kenya, India, and Peru. The research sought to answer the following questions: 1) How do households and individuals make housing decisions? 2) What are the information flows, key influences, and social norms that steer these decisions? and 3) How can programmes leverage knowledge about norms to improve the quality of home construction?

Read More

The Return on Investment of Social Inclusion: An Evidence Gap Analysis from Developing Countries

  • Partner: USAID
  • Publication Type: Brief
  • Date: August 16, 2021

This brief analyzes the existing literature from developing countries on how firms invest in social inclusion and measure its return on investment. It then analyzes existing evidence gaps and makes recommendations on how firms and USAID partners working in private sector engagement and market systems development can improve their investments and fill evidence gaps.

Read More

How the Private Sector Measures Social Inclusion and its Return on Investment: A Framework to Inform Future Research

  • Partner: USAID
  • Publication Type: Brief
  • Date: May 25, 2021

This brief documents how different private sector actors understand and measure social inclusion and its return on investment (ROI) as an initial step to frame further research on the business case for social inclusion in developing countries. This brief was produced as part of MSA’s work with the Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity, a set of learning initiatives around social inclusion.

Read More

Women’s Empowerment Collectives are Critical to Reaching Scale

  • Partner: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The SEEP Network
  • Publication Type: Blog
  • Date: February 23, 2021

Women’s collectives are often thought of as a critical source of social solidarity and resilience at the grassroots level. But what if women’s collectives could be leveraged to target and help unlock the economic empowerment of rural women at scale? This blog post explores the potential transformative role women’s collectives can play in expediting women’s economic and social empowerment globally, and how the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is targeting these groups to address structural barriers to gender equality.

Read More

Leveraging the Enabling Environment to Achieve Scale in Women’s Economic Empowerment: An Interview with USAID’s Wade Channell

  • Partner: USAID
  • Publication Type: Blog
  • Date: February 19, 2021

The Feed the Future Advancing Women’s Empowerment (AWE) program team spoke with Wade Channell, senior economic growth advisor for gender with USAID about how we can leverage the enabling environment to achieve scale in women’s empowerment.

Read More

What Does It Take to Achieve Scale in Women’s Empowerment Activities?

  • Partner: USAID
  • Publication Type: Blog
  • Date: February 18, 2021

Insights and examples of approaches to scaling women’s empowerment from the Feed the Future Advancing Women’s Empowerment (AWE) program team, particualrly relating to gains in agricultural productivity, resilient and sustainable livelihoods and nutrition.

Read More

Rethinking the Future of Women’s Empowerment: Gender-Based Violence & COVID-19

  • Partner: FHI 360
  • Publication Type: Blog
  • Date: December 1, 2020

We explore the current state of gender-based violence in Egypt to conclude our two-part blog series — co-produced by FHI 360 and MarketShare Associates — on Rethinking the Future of Women’s Empowerment in response to the global pandemic.

Read More

Social Norms and Persona Design: Background Note

  • Partner: CGAP
  • Publication Type: Background Note
  • Date: November 2020

This background note provides guidance for implementers and designers to apply a social norms lens onto a persona tool. It is to be used to develop a more nuanced understanding of women and the social norms that impact their ability to interact with financial services.

Read More