Suggestions
Mike Klassen
Consultant, systemic approaches in development and higher education
Mike Klassen is a consultant specializing in systemic approaches in development and higher education, based in the Greater Cambridge Area of the United Kingdom.1 As the Owner and Principal Consultant of Mike Klassen Consulting, he has been providing research, analysis, and consulting services to clients in the higher education and international development sectors since August 2013.1
Key Areas of Expertise
Mike Klassen's work focuses on:
- Facilitating social learning processes, both within and between organizations
- Capacity building
- Market systems development
Current and Past Clients
Klassen has worked with a diverse range of clients, including:
Current clients::
- BEAM Exchange (as a market systems specialist)
- Springfield/Swisscontact (as a senior associate)
- Mercy Corps, ILO, and Swisscontact
- ACDI/VOCA
- WUSC
- DAI / Market Systems and Partnerships activity
Past clients::
- The Canopy Lab
- IDRC
- Practical Action
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Vikara Institute
- MarketShare Associates
His consulting work involves various roles such as market systems specialist, adaptive management advisor, and leading assessments in market systems development for education (MSD4E).1
With over a decade of experience in his current role, Mike Klassen has established himself as a respected consultant in the field of international development and higher education, offering specialized expertise in market systems approaches and organizational learning.
Highlights
Calling all implementers of USAID-funded market systems projects... we are excited to announce a Call for Participants for the 'Adaptive Partnerships for Systemic Impact' clinics series. Facilitated by Feed the Future Market Systems and Partnerships (MSP), these USAID-focused clinics are for internal teams within IPs who are interested in solving persistent procurement and contracting challenges associated with applying a market systems approach.
Read more about the clinics here: https://lnkd.in/ekkXD2ye
Apply to participate by June 28th, via this form: https://lnkd.in/edu32hqi
Looking forward to working closely with co-facilitators Ryan Bourque, Mark Sevier and Gwendolyn Tweed. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Alison Hemberger Rachel Shah Luis E. (Lucho) Osorio-Cortes Dan Barthmaier Julie Ideh Momina Saqib Josh Voges Emmet Murphy Austen Musso Kate Maldonado Garron Hansen Schafer Bomstein Castella Katie Paguaga Mark Rolls Joseph McGrann William Grant Colleen Green Scott Merrill Sheldon Yoder Kristin O'Planick
About a year ago, I finished my PhD. The thesis itself quietly went online and open access earlier this year, but hasn't moved any mountains in terms of its impact. Who has time for 200 pages?
Today, I'm really proud to publish the first in a series of briefs on leadership in market systems development (MSD) - a coherent field of practice that applies systems thinking to development challenges. This is going to make a much bigger difference than my thesis, and it's built on the work of 50+ people who participated in the MSD leadership clinics over 6 months in 2023. Over 70 hours of breakout discussions, hundreds of JamBoard frames, and google docs so peppered with comments your eyes start to bleed.
https://lnkd.in/e63-wNAj
Where do MSD leaders come from? (and where do they go?) generates new knowledge for and by the industry, about common pathways that MSD practitioners take in their journey to lead (in various roles, not just TL!) The six pathways are: (1) growth chamber, (2) unexpected roots and shoots, (3) strictly business, (4) movers & shakers, (5) loyal stalwarts, and (6) global nomads.
While the names aren't perfect, they give us some language to notice patterns of who gets opportunities and who doesn't. And the rest of the paper focuses on what organisations can (and should) be doing to help more project staff learn, thrive and grow in their influence and capability - both donors and implementers. It takes two to tango - and it's critical that we break down narratives and mental models that 'poaching' of good staff should hold us back from investing in our teams, in every single MSD project.
Take a read, share your thoughts, and get in touch if you want to organize a more dynamic conversation about what this means for your MSD project or your organization.
PS the other two briefs will be coming out in 2024: one on the internal culture and approach to leadership development within a project (going deeper on the 'growth chamber' idea). The other focuses on the support systems that MSD leaders need and how they can access them.
PPS shout out to Holly Krueger Laura Kim and The Canopy Lab for pushing deeper into research on very similar topics. Forthcoming findings on the career mobility of national MSD professionals goes further than this on important questions, including a stronger inclusion and equity perspective than we've published here.
