The Markets in Crises (MiC) Community of Practice includes people with varying experience of market analysis and market-based programming. Members are welcome to post on the forum any relevant question they may have. Some questions keep reappearing as new members join the group. Concepts and terminologies used by group members are often surprisingly different. This section aims to centralise answers to the most frequently asked questions and to lay the foundations of commonly agreed concepts.
Market-based programming is a broad term that is used to describe many different things. It refers to any type of humanitarian or development program that works through or supports local markets, whether using them to deliver emergency relief or proactively strengthening and developing local market systems. Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) are a means of delivering market-based assistance, by supporting demand (e.g., an agency delivers cash or vouchers to beneficiaries, who in turn purchase what they need in local markets) and/or by supporting supply (e.g. an agency provides cash to traders, who can restock their businesses with items that are in high demand).
That said, market-based programming encompasses much more than just CVA. It can also involve many other types of interventions. In emergency contexts, these interventions may include helping small-scale business people to access microloans; advocating to government actors to repair key transport routes; or providing assistance to help market actors to restock following shocks. Though many humanitarian organizations have a strong focus on CVA, during the market analysis and program design processes, we should also consider the relevance of other types of market-based programming. The whole range of market-based programming is displayed in the Market Based Programming Framework.
Broadly speaking, market analysis refers to the process of gathering and using information about markets to inform decisions. It can mean many different things and can be conducted in countless contexts and for a number of very different reasons. In early recovery and development contexts, market analysis can be conducted to identify sectors with high potential for growth, to inform the development of business strategies for individual enterprises, to identify skills gaps and other challenges that act as barriers to good employment, and for other information purposes. Of course, market analysis is also conducted in the developed world, for many of the same reasons. Before starting any market analysis, it is very important that the team is clear about what they hope to learn.
Meanwhile, emergency market analysis is distinct in that it is used in humanitarian contexts, normally in order to determine whether and how relief interventions (that provide lifesaving goods and services to disaster-affected people) should work through local markets (i.e. by providing cash grants or vouchers, or through local procurement) and/or otherwise support local markets.
Emergency market analysis should ideally be conducted as part of a broad needs and context assessment, before a modality (or modalities) of assistance has been decided. It can be carried out before or after crises occur, and before or during program implementation. EMMA, PCMA, MSMA and RAM are some well-known examples of approaches to emergency market analysis.
Often, the best ways to find a consultant for a market training and/or assessment are through your personal networks and by circulating a TOR on the MiC forum. (You can find some sample ToRs for EMMAs and PCMAs here, though these will obviously have to be adapted based on the context, scale and scope of your assessment.) It may also be worth asking other organizations that you work with, or colleagues in your organization’s headquarters, if they have any recommendations for consultants. Be very clear about what type of assessment/training you are trying to organize, and make sure the consultant you select has relevant skills and experience, since almost everyone has their own understanding of the term “market analysis”! Finally, be sure to start the search as soon as possible, as often the best consultants are booked many months in advance!
