When taking a market systems approach, development organisations such as those in the FSD network act as facilitators of market development—external change agents whose role is to develop actors in the market system to increase financial inclusion.

While facilitators work in a variety of ways, their primary role is to address constraints, in order to allow and facilitate the market system to function more effectively and inclusively. Facilitation is therefore a public role (not a commercial one); it is a temporary role (it is time-bound); and it requires understanding of the market system and the capacity to intervene with appropriate resources (financial, human and political).

The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines on some key, practical questions facing facilitators, based on synthesised learnings from the FSD Network as captured in seven case studies written by the Springfield Centre. This document explores the art of market facilitation in action through the lens of the FSD network  to bu understanding around the M4P approach. The paper examines the wider lessons and challenges that emerge for organisations addressing the dilemmas of developing financial markets for the poor, and how they differ significantly from other conventional approaches.

We hope that you find the learnings in this synthesis paper useful and that they shed some light on your path to effective market facilitation.,