Why SCOPEinsight assessments are the only tool you’ll need to help agribusinesses grow
Since 2010, clients have used SCOPE assessments to increase success in their projects. Over the past decade, thanks to great client feedback, we have consistently worked on improving our tools and streamlining our client journey so our assessments are the best available product on the market. For many, SCOPE assessments are THE industry standard for measuring, benchmarking, and improving agribusinesses. The following five reasons make us unique and one of the most trusted B corp companies for agribusiness assessments and data.
1. SCOPE assessments reflect the most important elements agribusinesses need in place to align with market needs
In the 12 years we have developed our assessments and co-created with partners, we have come to understand market requirements and how to align our tools to them. For example, our assessments measure how well an organization manages its business. This includes assessing the quality and quantity of an agribusinesses’ supply. This information is necessary to help an agribusiness break into a larger market.
Aligning with the market is important because it allows for a market system approach towards development. A market system approach is most appropriate for agricultural contexts. Primary producers in agriculture (i.e., farmers) are usually poor and lacking in business know-how, but they are also self-employed and numerous. This means they have the agency to make change in their lives and that development interventions can be far-reaching and cost-effective. A market system development approach is the best way to make far-reaching and long-lasting change for a wide range of agricultural professionals.
2. We combine international expertise with local infrastructure
The SCOPEinsight approach has worked for dozens of clients in 48 countries and in 19 agricultural sectors. Our assessments are standardized and focused on the necessary skills to run an agribusiness professionally. These skills are applicable in every country, for every crop. The standardized nature of SCOPE tools allows for international, regional, and local benchmarking. And in addition to having incorporated our multi-country and multi-sectoral experience into our systems, we have our Local Expert Network to contextualize our assessment results.
Our unique blend of international and local knowledge is invaluable to clients for many reasons. Perhaps most importantly, it means that our tools can be used with ease and confidence in any country and for any sector. It also means that data regarding program approaches from different countries can be compared easily. Our clients benefit from our international experience, which provides them with information about global norms, standards, and trends. At the same time, they also learn about the local context through our Local Experts. This blend provides more important information than either part could provide on its own.
3. Our system is built with an exit plan in mind
Our whole system is designed to increase an agribusiness’s independence. By providing a system of agribusiness graduation, we create a clear pathway for improvement. And by establishing Local Experts with the capacity to conduct SCOPE assessments, we leave behind a system which is self-sustaining and with a plan for self-reliance. We have a clear view of our project legacy and how to exit in a way that allows the agribusinesses to continue to grow.
Having a good exit strategy is very important to creating lasting change with a project. Exit strategies ensure better development outcomes and encourage commitment to sustainability. In addition, good exit strategies can help resolve tension that may arise between the withdrawal of assistance and commitment to achieve development outcomes. The data we provide and the system we create makes it easy to develop an exit strategy that works well for everyone involved.
4. We have robust, reliable data that you can trust
Thanks to our years of experience and our massive dataset, we know more about the professional performance of agribusinesses than anyone else. We have conducted more than a half million assessments, each with over 200 data points. No one else has the quantity or quality of data that we have. Our quality control checks for bias and logical errors, and it also includes training for assessors. We have built procedures and checks to ensure that the most important data quality elements are addressed.
SCOPE data is incredibly useful for making strategic improvements to agribusinesses and an important part of making informed decisions. It allows you to analyze trends, make connections, and understand relationships between organizational aspects. With predictive analysis, we can use our data to build answers to the sector’s biggest questions. For example, we can determine how to predict if an agribusiness is providing a living wage for its members. These sorts of models reduce the cost of expensive research. The high quality of our data means that our models and analysis can be trusted by our clients.
5. We have perfected our methodology to predict where agribusinesses need to improve
Our assessments and reports allow capacity builders to build the most appropriate technical assistance for agribusinesses. We measure the most important success and failure factors of an agribusiness. With eight dimensions and 26 subdimensions, we can pinpoint the exact areas of weakness of an agribusiness where they need the most support. We have been perfecting our craft for almost twelve years, and we have incorporated user experience and client feedback into our tools. Our methodology is based on:
- Management maturity models;
- Plan-Do-Check-Act Management Cycle;
- ISO Quality, Sustainability, & Certification Systems;
- Financial Institutions Due Diligence process and Rating Systems;
- Market requirements; and
- Farmer training programs.
All of this means that our results can be trusted, and we have years of evidence to back that up.
Our assessment reports are very helpful to capacity builders and important to their success. Knowing the details of an agribusiness’s areas of weakness helps capacity builders tailor-make the appropriate training. Capacity builders can also use our data in other ways, like segmenting and communicating results. And thanks to our experience and track record of top-notch service, clients can trust that we are measuring and reporting on the most important success and fail factors for agribusinesses.
Ready to work with THE most trusted assessment tool provider? Contact us today to find out how.
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