Who wants to be a systems changer?
Ready to change systems?
Watch our short videos to see how a market systems development (MSD) approach drives decent work, sustainable value chains, and inclusive green growth.
These videos are part of "Who Wants to Be a Systems Changer?" – an educational game inspired by the popular TV show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" While there’s no cash prize, the game is packed with fun and practical learning about MSD.
Want to learn more about the ILO's Systems Change Initiative? Visit our webpage and follow us on LinkedIn to get started.
1. What is the main goal of an MSD approach?
MSD makes change that sticks – and grows. Learn how projects can be sustainable and scalable, beyond their timeline.
2. In MSD, who should ideally sustain change after a project ends?
Real MSD change lasts because local actors own it – no donor funds, subsidies, or outside experts needed.
3. A project pays 100% of the costs for an innovation. What’s the main risk?
Without demand or know-how, local actors won’t sustain the innovation after the project ends. Subsidy-driven solutions often break once support disappears.
4. What’s different about applying MSD in displacement contexts?
MSD in displacement contexts engages refugees in commercial value chains and de-risks interventions in fragile spaces through private sector partnerships.
5. What does MSD for decent work focus on?
MSD for decent work focuses on strengthening market systems so they can create more and better jobs sustainably, rather than providing temporary jobs through donor projects.
6. Why is “win–win” thinking important in green MSD?
Win-win thinking in MSD ensures change lasts by benefiting both people and ecosystems, so local actors have an incentive to protect natural resources.
7. The MSD “art of facilitation” means…
The "art of facilitation" is about enabling local market actors to drive and sustain improvements themselves.
8. Which of these best describes systemic change?
Systemic change is durable shifts in behaviors, rules, and relationships that improve the system beyond the project.
9. Which activities reflect a systems approach to promote the inclusion of women?
Piloting inclusive practices, tracking commercial benefits, and building a business case for women’s inclusion rather than just focusing on morale.
10. In an MSD intervention to improve decent work, what practical area can a project target?
Identify ways to strengthen services so they remain effective and continue to benefit the market once the project ends.
