Making Markets Work Better for the Poor (Implementation), Viet Nam, Laos, Cambodia (ADB, DFID) 2003-2007
| Implementing agency(ies) | Asian Development Bank (AsDB), Department for International Development (DFID) | |
|---|---|---|
| Funding agency(ies) | Asian Development Bank (AsDB), Department for International Development (DFID) | |
| Date completed | December 2006 | |
| Issues/challenges | M4P, value chains, businese environment | |
| Country(ies) | Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Viet Nam |
- Description
This entry relates to phase 1 of the DFID/ADB M4P project; it is now in phase 2 (see link, above).
M4P was a three year regional technical assistance project co-financed by the ADB, DFID (UK) and the Tokyo-based ADB Institute. The underlying rationale for the project was that well-functioning markets can play a critical role in driving growth and poverty reduction.
Efficient markets lower coordination costs and transactions costs in an economy and may improve resource allocation and linkages between different market players - including the poor. By providing opportunity for improved incomes and social advancement, markets can complement - at no cost to the public budget - the poverty reduction impact of national poverty reduction strategies including targeted programmes and service delivery. But markets don't always work that way. Markets may fail. Global value chains may exclude poor producers and consumers. The wrong sequence of market-oriented reforms may actually reduce growth in transitional economies. The purpose of this project is to examine these critical issues more deeply. The project's research findings should promote debate, discussion and better understanding of the policy issues surrounding markets and poverty reduction amongst a wide constituency.
The purposes of the project were to (a) conduct analytical work on the functioning of markets and the extent to which the poor are able to benefit from them, and (b) to build capacity to support pro-poor market development through research activities, networking and the promotion of policy dialogue in the three project countries.
The project had three components:
(1) Research Activities
(2) Capacity Building
(3) Policy Dialogue
Below are issues of the project's newsletter, bulletins which briefly discuss specific topics and reports on events. In-depth reports from work on specific topics have their own entries - links are provided below.
M4P Bulletin August 05 - Branding, Labeling, Trademarks (1.1MB)