Utilizing the case of the Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide, the article provides its strengths (extensive tools and worksheets, case studies from recovery and development settings) and limitations (very brief overview of market systems, only focuses on the implementation phase of market development, only focuses on integrating the very poor into markets). The knowledge assessment results of two workshops lead the author to question how much is learned in workshop settings. The online survey showed that the most used section of the Field Guide was ‘Linking Very Poor Producers with Buyers & Suppliers’. The 70 per cent experiential, 20 per cent from others, and 10 per cent formal ratios regarding learning led the author to recommend more on-the-job learning. Extensive feedback from the users provided lessons on improved tool design and capacity building for tool users. The article concludes with a number of recommendations: frontline workers need written guides; translate guides; include a monitoring and evaluation system; get organizational commitment to build frontline market facilitators' capacity; more research into the different methods of building capacity (workshops; written guides; a monitoring and evaluation system; and online and in person training events are likely the most effective combination).

Cross, J. (2012) ‘Why corporate training is broken and how to fix it’, Inside Learning Technologies & Skills November 2012 [online] <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1≯ [accessed 15 May 2014]. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1

Donovan, J., Cunha, M., Franzel, S., Gyau, A. and Mithofter, D. (2013) Guides for Value Chain Development: A Comparative Review, Wageningen, the Netherlands: Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Engineers without Borders (2012) ‘A practitioner's guide to market facilitation: facilitation as behavior change’ [website] USAID's Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change

Growing Organizational Value Chain Excellence (GROOVE) network (2014) Market Facilitation Mentoring Program: Administrator's Guide [pdf] USAID Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf

Horton, D., Rotondo, E., Ybarnegaray, R., Hareau, G., Devaux, A. and Thiele, G. (2013) ‘Lapses, infidelities, and creative adaptations: lessons from evaluation of a participatory market development approach in the Andes’, Evaluation and Program Planning 39: 28-41 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.03.002≯.

Norell, D. and Brand, M. (2013) Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide [online] USAID Microlinks <http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide≯ [accessed 19 May 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide

Practical Action (2014) ‘Participatory market systems development’ [website] <http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development

The Corporate Executive Board Company (2008) Unlocking the Value of On-the-Job Learning [pdf] <http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf

USAID (2013) ‘What will it take to transform African agriculture: 2013-2030’ [website] MPEP Seminar Series <http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20 Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf?file=http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695≯ [accessed 24 April 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695

World Vision (2013) ‘Local value chain development’ [website] <http://lvcd.wordpress.com≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://lvcd.wordpress.com

Cross, J. (2012) ‘Why corporate training is broken and how to fix it’, Inside Learning Technologies & Skills November 2012 [online] <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1≯ [accessed 15 May 2014]. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1

Donovan, J., Cunha, M., Franzel, S., Gyau, A. and Mithofter, D. (2013) Guides for Value Chain Development: A Comparative Review, Wageningen, the Netherlands: Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Engineers without Borders (2012) ‘A practitioner's guide to market facilitation: facilitation as behavior change’ [website] USAID's Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change

Growing Organizational Value Chain Excellence (GROOVE) network (2014) Market Facilitation Mentoring Program: Administrator's Guide [pdf] USAID Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf

Horton, D., Rotondo, E., Ybarnegaray, R., Hareau, G., Devaux, A. and Thiele, G. (2013) ‘Lapses, infidelities, and creative adaptations: lessons from evaluation of a participatory market development approach in the Andes’, Evaluation and Program Planning 39: 28-41 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.03.002≯.

Norell, D. and Brand, M. (2013) Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide [online] USAID Microlinks <http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide≯ [accessed 19 May 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide

Practical Action (2014) ‘Participatory market systems development’ [website] <http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development

The Corporate Executive Board Company (2008) Unlocking the Value of On-the-Job Learning [pdf] <http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf

USAID (2013) ‘What will it take to transform African agriculture: 2013-2030’ [website] MPEP Seminar Series <http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20 Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf?file=http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695≯ [accessed 24 April 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695

World Vision (2013) ‘Local value chain development’ [website] <http://lvcd.wordpress.com≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://lvcd.wordpress.com

Cross, J. (2012) ‘Why corporate training is broken and how to fix it’, Inside Learning Technologies & Skills November 2012 [online] <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1≯ [accessed 15 May 2014]. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1

Donovan, J., Cunha, M., Franzel, S., Gyau, A. and Mithofter, D. (2013) Guides for Value Chain Development: A Comparative Review, Wageningen, the Netherlands: Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Engineers without Borders (2012) ‘A practitioner's guide to market facilitation: facilitation as behavior change’ [website] USAID's Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change

Growing Organizational Value Chain Excellence (GROOVE) network (2014) Market Facilitation Mentoring Program: Administrator's Guide [pdf] USAID Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf

Horton, D., Rotondo, E., Ybarnegaray, R., Hareau, G., Devaux, A. and Thiele, G. (2013) ‘Lapses, infidelities, and creative adaptations: lessons from evaluation of a participatory market development approach in the Andes’, Evaluation and Program Planning 39: 28-41 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.03.002≯.

Norell, D. and Brand, M. (2013) Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide [online] USAID Microlinks <http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide≯ [accessed 19 May 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide

Practical Action (2014) ‘Participatory market systems development’ [website] <http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development

The Corporate Executive Board Company (2008) Unlocking the Value of On-the-Job Learning [pdf] <http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf

USAID (2013) ‘What will it take to transform African agriculture: 2013-2030’ [website] MPEP Seminar Series <http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20 Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf?file=http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695≯ [accessed 24 April 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695

World Vision (2013) ‘Local value chain development’ [website] <http://lvcd.wordpress.com≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://lvcd.wordpress.com

Cross, J. (2012) ‘Why corporate training is broken and how to fix it’, Inside Learning Technologies & Skills November 2012 [online] <http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1≯ [accessed 15 May 2014]. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/847ec6ea#/847ec6ea/1

Donovan, J., Cunha, M., Franzel, S., Gyau, A. and Mithofter, D. (2013) Guides for Value Chain Development: A Comparative Review, Wageningen, the Netherlands: Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA).

Engineers without Borders (2012) ‘A practitioner's guide to market facilitation: facilitation as behavior change’ [website] USAID's Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/library/practitionersguide-market-facilitation-facilitation-behavior-change

Growing Organizational Value Chain Excellence (GROOVE) network (2014) Market Facilitation Mentoring Program: Administrator's Guide [pdf] USAID Microlinks <www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. www.microlinks.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/GROOVE-AdminGuide-508_0.pdf

Horton, D., Rotondo, E., Ybarnegaray, R., Hareau, G., Devaux, A. and Thiele, G. (2013) ‘Lapses, infidelities, and creative adaptations: lessons from evaluation of a participatory market development approach in the Andes’, Evaluation and Program Planning 39: 28-41 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.03.002≯.

Norell, D. and Brand, M. (2013) Integrating Very Poor Producers into Value Chains Field Guide [online] USAID Microlinks <http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide≯ [accessed 19 May 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/library/integrating-very-poorproducers-value-chains-field-guide

Practical Action (2014) ‘Participatory market systems development’ [website] <http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://practicalaction.org/participatory-market-systems-development

The Corporate Executive Board Company (2008) Unlocking the Value of On-the-Job Learning [pdf] <http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://greatmanager.ucsf.edu/files/On_the_Job_Learning.pdf

USAID (2013) ‘What will it take to transform African agriculture: 2013-2030’ [website] MPEP Seminar Series <http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20 Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf?file=http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695≯ [accessed 24 April 2014]. http://microlinks.kdid.org/sites/microlinks/files/resource/files/MPEP%20Seminar%204_FINAL.pdf&nid=6695

World Vision (2013) ‘Local value chain development’ [website] <http://lvcd.wordpress.com≯ [accessed 3 October 2013]. http://lvcd.wordpress.com