Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
2000 M Street NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Evidence-Based Learning and Adaptation
IESC closely monitors progress against performance indicators on each of our programs, including check-ins at regular intervals to track progress, adapt as needed, and achieve results. We conduct pause-and-reflect and learning sessions—with our staff, funders, the program participants that we serve, partner organizations, and program counterparts—to make changes based on shifting in-country circumstances and donor and national priorities. As part of these efforts, we monitor economic dynamics and market system dynamics to identify and assess risks, and build in contingencies that ensure the achievement of results.
Program Examples
Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka
Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance (F2F A2F)
Funder: USAID
IESC volunteer expert Genevieve Liang helping MediaE promote its digital information service for smallholder farmers in Kenya
Program overview: Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F), a volunteer-driven program, expanded agricultural sector access to financial services and increased agricultural sector productivity and profitability, thereby raising incomes and creating jobs. The core countries for the F2F Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) were Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.
Relation to IESC expertise: When COVID-19 halted international travel and caused economic turmoil in Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka, IESC quickly adapted to ensure results through F2F A2F. Instead of international experts traveling, local volunteers on the ground partnered virtually with international experts. As credit markets slowed and financial institutions were reluctant to lend to agricultural stakeholders, IESC staff and volunteers worked with borrowers to improve their marketing, and supported lenders to properly assess agricultural returns. These adaptations resulted in an increase of $11 million in sales, and nearly 106,000 agricultural loans valued at $69.3 million.
Sri Lanka
Market-Oriented Dairy (MOD)
Funder: USDA Food for Progress
Dairy farmer Mr. Punyasiri Bandara with the solar panels purchased thanks to a voucher from IESC
Program overview: MOD supports farmers and other dairy enterprises to meet the demands of the local dairy sector in a commercially sustainable way. The program implements activities to increase the production levels and sales value of milk produced by participating farmers; improves the availability of and access to quality inputs for dairy farming; and improves dairy product safety through adherence to proper feeding regimens, management practices, and technology.
Relation to IESC expertise: The Sri Lankan economy experienced economic turmoil and hyper-inflation following the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit market interest rates skyrocketed to more than 30%, inhibiting farmers from accessing capital to invest. Dairy farmers were reluctant to make cash investments to improve productivity, effectively driving up fresh milk prices, and increasing reliance on imports. Recognizing these challenges, IESC introduced an input voucher program to support small-scale capital investments for improved productivity. To stimulate investment, MOD provided vouchers with 40 to 75% cost share toward production technologies. As a result, 384 vouchers were redeemed, resulting in a 9% increase in production in just six months.
Vietnam
Linkages for Small and Medium Enterprises (LinkSME)
Funder: USAID
IESC workshop in Dac Lak, Vietnam to strengthen the capacity of business support organizations to engage with SMEs
Program overview: LinkSME built the capacity of Vietnamese business support organizations to advance linkages between Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and lead firms, thereby enhancing the capacity of SMEs to participate in global supply chains. Improved and increased business linkages help Vietnamese firms generate jobs, improve livelihoods, and encourage entrepreneurial innovation. Additionally, the program reduced major barriers limiting SME growth across Vietnam and helped to institutionalize key reforms.
Relation to IESC expertise: There were limited local resources capable of offering the technical support IESC provided Vietnamese SMEs to integrate into the supply chains of lead firms. To ensure a sustainable service market in Vietnam, we adapted and began building the capacity of Vietnamese business support organizations (BSOs) to offer market linkage facilitation services. We developed a set of instructional handbooks and trained BSO staff on facilitating linkages and helped BSOs integrate these SME-support interventions in their service portfolios.