02 Markets and Trade

Markets and Trade (MT) Sector Overview for Handover Documentation

• Markets and Trade main file archive link

Overview

Purpose and Objective

The Markets and Trade (MT) Team is responsible for providing project-wide technical support, guidance, and training related to analyzing food availability and food access. The MT sector seeks to improve FEWS NET staff and partner understanding of staple food and income-generating markets as they relate to the livelihoods and food security of poor households using a common set of concepts and tools as well as innovative and integrated data-management and analysis systems.

The team’s main objectives are to:

• Support the Decision Support Group (DSG) to develop assumptions about food availability and food access as key inputs into scenario development, FEWS NET’s methodology to develop food security projections.

• Provide USAID/FFP with decision support related to modality analysis and market-based response to inform both Emergency and Development food assistance programs, such as Enhanced Market Analysis (EMA).

We do this by:

• Ensuring the project’s MT knowledge base is complete and up to date and reflects the livelihoods context of FEWS NET countries.

• Building upon the knowledge base to effectively monitor markets, including primary and secondary data sources. This includes collaborating with the KML team to ensure MT data are effectively processed, managed, and made accessible via the FEWS NET Data Warehouse (FDW).

• Developing and rolling out methods and tools to improve market monitoring and analysis, including forward-looking projections.

• Providing training to partner organizations on FEWS NET MT methods, tools, and other best practices.

Sector staff

Over the course of FEWS NET III (2012-2019), the team has staffed the following positions:

• Home Office

• Field

• Senior Market and Trade Advisor (team lead)

• Regional Food Security Specialist Markets and Trade (RFSS-MT) East Africa

• Senior Markets and Trade Analyst

• RFSS-MT Southern Africa

• Markets and Trade Analyst (2-3)

• RFSS-MT West Africa

• Markets and Trade Research Assistant

• RFSS-MT LAC

• Markets and Trade consultants (various)

• Regional MT Monitor Southern Africa

• Database Manager (transitioned to KML with expansion of FDW)

• Price Enumerator Coordinators (various)

• Operations Coordinator (for EMA activities)

• Price Enumerators (various)

• Cross-Border Trade Enumerators (various)

• Data processing clerk (Southern Africa)

• Product and Process documentation

MT Product Documentation

This documentation addresses the process of preparing the following standard FEWS NET products (reports and maps) that all feed into to the overall FEWS NET approach to market monitoring and analysis:

Reports

• Price Bulletin

• Price Watch

• Price Watch Annexes

• Supply and Market Outlook Report

• East Africa Cross-Border Trade Report

• FEWS NET/WFP Southern Africa Informal Cross-Border Trade Monitoring and Reporting

• Market Fundamentals Report

• Enhanced Market Analysis Report

Maps

• Price Variation Map

• Production and Trade Flow Maps

• Market Functioning Map

MT Process Documentation

This documentation addresses the primary and secondary Data Collection and management (these should be read jointly with the KML handover documentation related to the Price and Cross-Border Trade (XBT) Data Domains:

• Primary Price Data Collection

• Secondary Price Data Collection

• Informal Cross-Border Trade Data Collection

• Mobile Data Transmission System (MDTS)

Training documentation

• FEWS NET Markets and Trade Foundational Training: This is a ½ to 1-day orientation to the Markets and Trade Sector that takes place within the context of the FEWS NET Foundational Training, typically a week-long training for all new technical staff. This includes an introduction to MT staff (who we are and where we sit), key concepts, the overall approach to MT analysis at FEWS NET, and regular processes (including staff roles and responsibilities)

• FEWS NET Price Projections Training: Advanced training in the MT sector on the project’s methods for developing market and price assumptions (price projections), including key resources and tools. This is offered to select FEWS NET staff following the Foundational Training. The training has been presented in various formats, ranging from 1 to 3 days.

• FEWS NET Price Enumerator Training: This is a 4-day training for FEWS NET price enumerators and enumerator coordinators in countries where FEWS NET collects primary price data.

• FEWS NET East Africa Cross-Border Trade Training: This is a 1-3 day training for FEWS NET cross-border trade enumerators and support and supervisory staff in countries where FEWS NET collects cross-border trade data in East Africa.

• FEWS NET Southern Africa Cross-Border Trade Training: This is a 1-3 day training for FEWS NET cross-border trade enumerators and support and supervisory staff in countries where FEWS NET collects cross-border trade data in Southern Africa.