A Market Systems Approach to Public-Private Dialogue and Business Environment Reform

The ENABLE Programme in Nigeria

 While Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) and private sector advocacy capacity are increasingly recognised as essential for effective private sector development, questions have arisen over the levels of sustainability and outreach generally achieved by development initiatives focusing on these issues. The Enhancing Nigerian Advocacy for a Better Business Environment (ENABLE) programme is applying an innovative, market systems (M4P) approach to enhancing the effectiveness of PPD and business advocacy in Nigeria.  ENABLE is a DFID funded programme implemented by Adam Smith International and the Springfield Centre.

 ENABLE's early impact is encouraging and increasingly demonstrates the applicability of M4P to improving the effectiveness of PPD and business environment reform.  This paper explores the ENABLE approach and reflects on our experiences to date.  Learning and progress has not always been linear but it has been highly effective and productive in the case of most partners.  While we believe that the ENABLE approach is the best way to achieve lasting change, it presents a unique set of challenges, which we reflect on in this paper.

 As the first of a series of papers to be produced by ENABLE, we hope this makes a meaningful contribution to knowledge and learning networks, and is of interest to those working on similar issues.

http://www.enable-nigeria.com/images/stories/RFPs/enable%20paper%20feb%2011%20final.pdf