Shifting the Locus of Learning: Catalyzing Private Sector Learning to Drive Systemic Change
- Partner: USAID Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP), DAI
- Publication Type: Learning Brief
- Date: January 23, 2023
- Team: Ben Fowler, Vivekan Jeyagaran, Anna Garloch, and Meghan Bolden
- Recommended Citation: MarketShare Associates. Shifting the Locus of Learning: Catalyzing Private Sector Learning to Drive Systemic Change. Washington, D.C.: United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Prepared by Fowler, Ben, Vivekan Jeyagaran, Anna Garloch, and Meghan Bolden for DAI through the Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity, 2022.
Learning is at the heart of the process of economic development—it drives more competitive, resilient, and inclusive firms and systems. Yet learning is less frequently seen as a critical function within systems that can catalyze and quicken systems change and enable adaptation. The Shifting the Locus of Learning brief makes the case that programs can and should shift the locus of learning from being only program-focused to system-focused. This implies a shift in agency away from a program directing the learning process to strengthening the capacity of market actors (e.g., firms, other organizations) and the system itself to better learn and adapt on their own. It represents an evolution in the focus and purpose of learning from being oriented primarily towards funder reporting (i.e., “prove”) and program improvement (i.e., “improve”) to also focusing on system transformation (i.e., “transform”).
The brief then spotlights 10 proven strategies for action across two pathways to support learning:
- At the market actor-level (e.g., building capacity for customer centricity and supplier insights and then applying amplification strategies) and
- At the systems-level (e.g., strengthening institutions that build trust and feedback loops, enhancing system performance data, and improving the reach and capacity of learning service providers).
These strategies are anchored by specific examples from 13 programs doing this work now across 11 countries, including programming in Uganda, Honduras, Mozambique, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Serbia.
Shifting the locus of learning from being solely program-directed to embedding it within the system itself enables development initiatives to achieve deeper, more lasting impacts. Programs that decentralize learning empower market actors and systems to adapt independently, fostering resilience and inclusivity. This transformation enhances the system’s ability to self-correct and accelerates economic growth, positioning learning as a critical driver of system-wide change.
This learning brief was originally published by the USAID Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP) Activity on Agrilinks on January 23, 2023.
