Results

Facilitating Farmers' Access to Remunerative Markets (FFARM)

Progressive business plan of a social Business Development Service Provider

About FFARM

FFARM (2006) is a social enterprise working in business development services. It supports NGOs in productivity and in access to markets. FFARM operates as a catalyst between farmers and entrepreneurs and develops joint ventures to give farmers access to markets. Also, FFARM works on capacity building on market studies, services, accounting/finance, business management and management. Target groups of FFARM are Farmers Marketing Organization and NGOs. The social impact of FFARM is:

local employment and/or income generation (outreach 20.000 farmers)
transfer of knowledge and skill

Business case

FFARM's request was to fine-tune his business plan advise on optimizing profitability and social outreach. FFARM wants feedback on his idea of creating two FFARM departments: Services (capacity building and access to markets) and profit (catalyst joint ventures and new business). Finally, FFARM wanted to know how to make farmers and their organisations pay for FFARM services. FFARM asked SharePeople for experts in management and service development. A team was made by Trees de Ruiter (Accenture), Daniël Niezink (TNO Consultancy) and Karen de Ruyter (Ministry of Economic Affairs) and for two weeks, they were the sparring partners of Mr. Sorsa Debela, general manager of FFARM.

Results

Analysis

The first couple of days, discussion was on FFARM's future strategic orientation because FFARM has so many different kinds of services but is a small organisation (5 people). Analysis has been done on the business plan to find out how FFARM can focus. This discussion has proven to be tough, because the market for FFARM seemed to be very big and therefore, it was not felt as needed to focus by the manager. Analysis was also done on the internal organisation and very practical tools have been developed.

Advice

Advice was given on organisation planning, staff personal time planning, pricing on different service programmes and making an ‘elevator pitch'. Also, contacts with new clients have been established by tools for client identification.

Impact on the professionals

On managerial skills, the Dutch participants have learned a great deal on differences in entrepreneurial culture.

‘The business case was a good way to experience what consulting in an intercultural context means. I appreciated working together with both Ethiopians but also with Dutch professionals from different organisations.' (Trees de Ruiter, consultant at Accenture)

‘For me, it was a part of my own developing programme. I really think that the experience we had cannot be fulfilled with any other kind of training.' (Daniel Niezink, management consultant at TNO)

Impact on the overseas partner

FFARM has practiced with improved planning techniques and therefore is expected to be more efficient. Profit therefore is expected to go up. FFARM also thinks positive about the impact this type of programmes can have on the world.

‘I believe in connecting people and talents to effectively contribute to positive change of our world. Please keep on!' (Sorsa Debela, general manager of FFARM)

Follow up

SharePeople will visit FFARM again in April 2009 and will report on the implementation of the advices of the team. FFARM is invited by SharePeople to participate in the SharePeople Experience Week in June/July 2009: a learning and matchmaking programme in the Netherlands.