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AECF Conference 2014 28-29 August, Nairobi Michael Baxter, Chair Investment Committee

Business-to-business (B2B) Learning: How the AECF Can Help grantees and how grantees can help the AECF. AECF Conference 2014 28-29 August, Nairobi Michael Baxter, Chair Investment Committee. The AECF UniversE. 185 grants awarded, totaling $137 m; $374 m in matching funds

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AECF Conference 2014 28-29 August, Nairobi Michael Baxter, Chair Investment Committee

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  1. Business-to-business (B2B) Learning:How the AECF Can Help grantees and how grantees can help the AECF AECF Conference 2014 28-29 August, Nairobi Michael Baxter, Chair Investment Committee

  2. The AECF UniversE • 185 grants awarded, totaling $137 m; $374 m in matching funds • 10 projects closed • 171 other grants contracted or about to be • 4 projects on hold or not contracted • Portfolio quality satisfactory given risk realities Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  3. The 185 Grantees represent… • 8 windows with16 competitions over 5 years • 23 countries • Kenya 34, Tanzania 32, Zimbabwe 21, Mozambique 23: 60% of grantees • Somalia 9, Uganda 8, Sierra Leone 8, S Sudan 7, DRC 6, Nigeria 5: 23% • Burundi 4, Rwanda 4, Zambia 4, Ghana 3, Malawi 3, South Africa 3: 11% • I or 2: Burkina, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gambia, Liberia, Mali: 6% • 5 sectors • Agribusiness: 68% of projects • Renewable energy: 17% • Financial services: 7% • Adaptation to climate change: 5% • Information: 3% Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  4. Why AECF alumni are special • AECF “alumni” are almost 200 successful entrepreneurs in over half of Sub-Sahara Africa’s countries • They have extensive knowledge of technology, policies, operating environmentsand markets • Their successful private sector focus on productivity and employment creation, innovation and system change at this scale and extent is unique • Their experience can be a great source of knowledge for current and future alumni – and for all others involved in growth and food security in Africa • Their experience can guide the rural value chain – and the AECF Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  5. Why b2b learning is important • Individuals learn best from others who have had similar experiences – especially if they have moved through them successfully • Best learning is demand-driven and self-paced • Being a teacher is the best way to learn • The business environment of the African rural market is more complex that what most formal learning offers Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  6. AECF support of B2B Learning • AECF B2B facilitation • 3 annual conferences • Business Plan selection meetings • Window start-up (M&E) workshops • Ad hoc contacts within Windows • Introductions from Fund Manager • AECF B2B support appreciated but sub-optimal • Limited opportunities and occurrences • Many grantees do not attend annual conferences • Ad hoc encounters predominate • Within an unknown universe of grantees • Without awareness of grantees’ common interests or needs • Opportunities for growth and success are missed • B2B learning built on what grantees and AECF want can help both Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  7. Keys to useful b2b learning • Relevance: addresses priority, practical needs • Availability: available as and when needed • Comprehensibility: readily understood and implementable • Accessibility: open to anyone, even if “relevance” not obvious • Mind-opening: expands knowledge, introduces new ideas • Self-managed: participants identify and develop topics • Joint accountability: participants and system management accountable for the success and impact of B2B learning Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  8. setting up A B2B learning System • Establish interest of all parties (here, AECF and grantees) • Form representative working group to review • specific areas of interest for both parties, likely sources of information • suggests suitable learning system/s and operational protocols • learning options include face-to-face and active/passive web-based systems • Set preliminary agenda of grantee issues to address, e.g. • responding to AECF objectives – poverty reduction, innovation, systemic change • technical, at sector and subsector levels • policy, especially within countries or regions • market access, domestic and international • Policies and regulations • access to finance and growing a business • business planning • AECF administrative needs Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  9. Passive Web-Based Option • Give grantees access to basic information on all grantees • By sector • By country • Summary project information • Contact information • Leave with grantees to initiate contact • Issues to address, even with a passive web system • Privacy – can grantees opt out? • Data accuracy – how can grantees confirm/correct data? • Coverage – all projects or only active projects? • Access – can grantees access all info or only concerned sector/country, and third-party/commercial access to data? • Cost – managing costs within AECF budget Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  10. ACTiveWeb-Based Option • Combine passive/active measures • Options for active system • Introduce grantees of similar interests • Have active country/sector sub-groups • Enable grantees to seek info from others • Share grantee-submitted information • Share AECF-generated information (funding sources, progress reports, policy developments, useful links, etc.) • Facilitate conversations among grantees • Have active business support links • Complement with individual/group face-to-face contact • Active system needs part-time experienced facilitator Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  11. Any web-based system must BE… • Responsive to grantee interests – and be used • Able to operate with minimal support • Based on up-to-date, in-demand grantee and other information • Subject to monitoring and improvement • Low-cost to set-up and operate Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  12. AECF gains from b2b learning • Channel for administrative communication (e.g., financial management, M&E, new competitions) • Can promote business-strengthening support: • additional finance and growth options • learning from other windows, unusual technology and approaches • share useful articles, papers, results • Can learn from grantee challenges and successes - to shareand use as input into competition design • Can introduce topics for feedback on program design Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

  13. Next steps • Decide if a passive or dynamic web-based system • Either way, AECF to commit to start-up investment • Set up working group of four/five grantees and the AECF to define chosen option, define governance and guide start-up • If web-based, employ for initial period part-time facilitator familiar with such systems to get system operational Business-to-Business (B2B) Learning, AECF Conference, 28 August 2014

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