Market systems approaches promote inclusive economic growth by tackling the root causes of failures and poor performance in the markets and services that matter most to poor people. They find opportunities to align the capabilities and incentives of private enterprise with the social goals of governments, development agencies and civil society.
The BEAM Exchange is a global knowledge exchange facility for market systems practitioners. It supports development programmes and private sector initiatives that fight poverty by working with businesses, governments and others to transform markets so they work better for poor people. Its goal is to improve the impact and effectiveness of programs that use these approaches: creating jobs, raising incomes and improving access to basic services – sustainably and at scale.
BEAM, launched in 2014, is managed by PricewaterhouseCoopers in alliance with ITAD, the Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and Business Fights Poverty, with funding from DFID and SDC BEAM.
IDS manages BEAM’s research programme, which will deepen understanding by practitioners and policy advisers in donor agencies of how market system approaches can be applied. It will generate and synthesise knowledge and evidence to inform the design and improve the implementation of market systems approaches. Four themes have been identified where further rigorous research is needed and will have practical value for BEAM users.
- Exploring implications of using systems approaches for evidence and evaluation methods
- Understanding problem diagnosis and intervention responses in market systems approaches
- Identifying and exploring sector-specific challenges facing market systems approaches beyond agriculture and finance, e.g. in health, nutrition, energy or sanitation
- Studying application of systems approaches to achieve economic empowerment of women and other marginalised groups
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