2SCALE: Why is it so important to conduct a scoping study?
Scoping ensures that we make a well-informed choice on the design of future 2SCALE partnerships. In French, we call it 'Etude de cadrage'. This is important for us, as it allows us to target subsectors and areas of potential intervention in a more strategic way. This provides the staff with the key information and documentation which enables them to more effectively identify potential partners, so less time is wasted at the start of the program.
How did you proceed in Mali?
In the context of Mali, we have accumulated a lot of information based on data collected from stakeholders in the subsectors that we believe are important for Mali and for the achievement of the objectives of 2SCALE. With the main overall goals of 2SCALE in mind, we carried out our first analysis and made the choice of subsectors, taking into consideration among others the following questions:
- Are there any promising SMEs or farmer-based organizations in these subsectors that could be potential business champions for 2SCALE?
- What is the potential to reach low-income consumers with nutritious food products?
- What is the potential for innovation in the selected subsector?
- Are the foreseen interventions for a particular geographic zone allowing replication to neighboring localities?
After this analysis, we established the relevant subsectors - taking into account alignment with the objectives set out in the multi-annual plan of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Mali, the development plans of the national government and the existence of other programs that intervene in the same sectors to avoid duplication or, the other way around, to seek for synergies with these programs.
How do you ensure that subsectors are aligned with 2SCALE's purpose and vision?
When we are selecting a subsector in any of these focal sectors, we should be able to justify why we chose them, and how they would help us to achieve our targets. Let’s take the case of wheat for instance where, because of urbanization, wheat consumption has increased due to the popularity of bread. The country's needs for wheat flour are enormous. Currently only 45,000 tons are produced, on a requirement of 200,000 tons for the country. This is a serious business opportunity for companies and farmers. In addition to this, wheat is grown in the 'Office du Niger' region and in the central regions of Mali along the Niger River. This makes water management a very important issue. There are new technologies and practices that allow more efficient use of water with wheat production, and 2SCALE is keen to support the introduction of these, so that water resources are better managed. In doing this we also align our work with the multi-annual plan of the Dutch embassy in Mali, which requests us to intervene all along the Niger River and in the central regions of Mali.
After having identified potential partners and subsectors, what is the next step?
Now that the sub sectors are chosen, and we have been able to identify partners who may be potential business champions, the next step is to engage these potential partners, to discuss their business ideas, and their compliance with the vision of 2SCALE. Because it is a partnership that we develop together, our visions and objectives must align. We will work with these potential business champions on partnership proposals and pitches, that will be assessed by an external selection committee. Partners must be able to demonstrate that their business idea is a good one; not only in terms of entrepreneurship but also that their business idea can help us to reach 2SCALE's targets. Once the partnership idea passes the selection committee, and a partnership agreement is developed and signed, we have laid a solid and carefully selected foundation for the real work on the ground to start!