M4P aims to increase the private sector contribution to achieving better development outcomes. It is a three year regional technical assistance project co-financed by the ADB, DFID (UK) and the Tokyo-based ADB Institute.  The project covers three countries: Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. 

The purposes of the project are to (a) conduct analytical work on the functioning of markets and the extent to which the poor are able to benefit from them, and (b) to build capacity to support pro-poor market development through research activities, networking and the promotion of policy dialogue in the three project countries.

The project has three components:

(1) Research Activities
The following research topics are currently under development: (i) Land and Labour Markets, (ii) The participation of the poor in global value chains with case studies drawn from Supermarkets, Bamboo, Base of Pyramids, (iii) Participatory Market assessments to investigate the linkages between markets and livelihoods in Urban and Rural Settings in Central Vietnam; (iv) Market and services delivery: innovative Public and Private Arrangements to improve the delivery of infrastructure services to the poor.

(2) Capacity Building.  The project will also promote capacity development through the use of local research institutes to conduct the research.  In addition, for each research topic, there will be a formal linkage with an international "mentor".   

(3) Policy Dialogue. The project will promote policy dialogue relating to market development and poverty reduction.  Dialogue will be promoted via a diverse means ranging from conventional workshops and meetings to media articles to an actively managed project website.  In addition, a "champion" in Government will be identified for each research topic to ensure that there is relevance to Government's development priorities.  Short policy briefs will be prepared on a number of market related topics to provide support to the policy dialogue,. These readable policy briefs will be prepared from research findings under the project as well as existing international and regional literature and research.

http://www.markets4poor.org [1]