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Moving forward together : Partners’ perspectives. International Development Partners. Overview. Different types of partners, with overall positive feedback despite diversity of development partners and the challenges Howard G. Buffett Foundation Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
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Moving forward together : Partners’ perspectives International Development Partners
Overview Different types of partners, with overall positive feedback despite diversity of development partners and the challenges • Howard G. Buffett Foundation • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Catalytic Investors • SNV • Development Credit Authority (DCA)- USAID Operational
Successes • P4P : catalyst for smallholder farmer development • Leverage for partnerships based on value chain and partners’ comparative advantage, including RBAs • P4P is a learning and sharing platform : central in explaining challenges faced by farmers, understanding the livelihood of the beneficiaries • Opportunity to influence policy change on public procurement • Key part of the overall effort of each partner, bringing together the other initiatives.
Successes • Ability to procure substantial volumes from smallholders changes the way WFP is perceived amongst host governments • Food safety : use of blue box as effective and new way to address and deal with food safety issues • P4P has promoted discussions on the role of smallholders in agricultural development • Partners commend WFP for its flexibility and patience to take risks and adjust particularly in the procurement procedures
Challenges • WFP perceived as very bureaucratic and overwhelming to engage with smaller and more clearly structured partners • Difference in entry point, WFP nationally focused while operational partners more district and community focused • WFP restrictions on particular commodities • Lack of clear strategy for engagement with private sector
Challenges • The expected evolutions and results take time to be achieved • Development partners not availing funds for actual food procurement through P4P • Finding supply-side partners and the time for functional markets to evolve with smallholder engagement • Access to credit (high interest rates, collateral, farmer capacity • DCA expects that the guarantee scheme will incentivise lending to FOs by financial institutions, but will not reduce interest rates substantially • M&E will not be able to draw all the lessons that we may have expected
Looking forward • Exit strategy • Key issue for international development partners • Engagement with governments • Needs to be increased • Some governments are showing signs of this, leveraging their own purchasing power • Engagement of private sector • SNV embed the ideas of P4P in civil society (social accountability) • Increase RBA collaboration • Credit remains a challenge we would like to look closer into with governments and development partners • Partnership is expected to continue post-pilot, however: • Depends on the capacity of WFP to innovate