A. Programming
Requirements
B. Involvement of Market Users - the
Participatory Planning Process
C. Surveys for
Development
D. Development
Preconditions
Before proceeding further, the next steps should be clearly
identified -including how beneficiaries should be involved, what surveys may be
required and whether there are any preconditions. This chapter describes the
following:
- programming and follow-up requirements;
- the involvement of market users - the
participatory planning process;
- surveys required for development; and
- preconditions for development.
A. Programming
Requirements
To implement the project a number of follow-up actions might
need to be undertaken. These could include the following:
- formulate an overall long-term strategy
for market infrastructure improvements;
- review the present management system and
market regulations and develop, as appropriate, an alternative system with
beneficiary participation, including private sector interests, cooperatives
and franchising operations;
- appoint consultants to prepare feasibility
studies;
- establish baseline targets for market improvements;
- review and amend the implementation of the
tax collection system by municipalities;
- review and identify legal changes that will
be required;
- define the need for different types of surveys;
- review traffic management and parking systems
and physical planning strategies; and
- prepare architectural and engineering proposals,
including detailed cost estimates.
B. Involvement of Market Users - the
Participatory Planning Process
It is essential to organise the operation of markets so that
the way they operate is agreed by all the stakeholders. To achieve this, user
participation in the formulation process, from identification through to design
and implementation, is essential. By this means, it will be possible to ensure
that the method of management, the operational procedures, the charging system,
the rental and other revenue structures and the market regulations are
acceptable to all parties. To achieve this participation, a number of approaches
will be needed:
- an initial meeting with traders’ and
farmers’ groups (if they exist) to explain the purpose of the project;
- in-depth discussions with representative
users to develop the design and accommodation brief;
- a public forum to discuss the brief and
to present the development alternatives;
- meetings to discuss the evaluation process
and to agree on viable levels for rents and charges; and
- final discussions before detailed design
to agree on the selected option.It is preferable if this can be formally recorded
through a memorandum of understanding.
C. Surveys for
Development
All market design, other than the improvement of very simple
rural and urban retail markets, depends on a quantification of existing and
future produce flows. This information usually needs to be collected through
surveys. Surveys are also required because often the precise role of existing
produce markets is often not known.
With a project that intends to improve roads and markets, for
example, a judgement also needs to be made on how different components will
interact. Investment in local markets may be superfluous if the simultaneous
improvement of access and feeder roads either encourages farmers to market more
produce at the farm gate or to deliver more produce directly to urban
markets.
Although more information may be available on existing trade
at urban wholesale markets, because of records of vehicle entries, this may not
give a very complete picture of the activities of the individual traders nor of
the market’s impact on the overall transport system. This is also likely to
apply to urban retail markets, particularly their role in serving the local
community. For these reasons, it is essential that flows in the existing
marketing systems are better understood and, therefore, systematic market
surveys may need to be undertaken. Initially, the design may be based on rather
crude estimates but, as the process evolves, more refined information will be
required.
Before starting a survey it is essential to define its basic
purpose, and identify who will be responsible for undertaking it (which might
require the involvement of specialist contractors and universities) and how it
will be paid for. It will also be necessary to define when it will be undertaken
(a major purpose of market surveys is to identify the impact of peak production
periods) and whether any special consents are required from market users,
adjoining owners or traffic authorities.
Often, only limited resources are available to implement
market improvements and it is not practical to prepare designs for each
individual market. In these cases, it is often better to concentrate the surveys
on deriving information suitable for designing standardised “models”
based on surveys of a representative sample of markets. The participation of
market users would need to be included as an integral part of the survey
process. Background planning data that will need to be assembled and the broad
scope of the information required for project formulation is shown in Box 14.
Appendix C contains detailed survey check-lists.
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BOX 14
Surveys for marketing projects
Identification stage
- production, consumption and food balance data;
- existing market channels - throughput and role;
- agri-processing and storage facility
data;
- auto-consumption data;
- animal feed and seed requirements,
losses, etc.;
- details of existing traders - type
and scale of operation; and
- details of any relevant studies on
horticulture and/or marketing.
Pre-feasibility stage
- legal and financial data relating
to market institutions;
- site engineering, physical planning
and unit cost data;
- estimates of likely revenues; and
- costs of services for existing and
future market sites.
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D. Development
Preconditions
There are a number of factors which always need to be resolved
before taking a development any further than has been discussed so far. These
could include:
- Legal framework: a legal framework
for marketing activities may need to be established, together with the introduction
of new market regulations. As this process can often take longer than the
actual market construction it needs to be initiated as rapidly as possible;
- Organizational issues: agreements
may need to made on the type of organizational change and responsibilities,
including confirming the legal status and structure (composition of board
of directors, management/auditing system) of any existing company or institution;
- Investors: the level of participation
of potential stakeholders (such as municipalities, transport companies, traders,
banks, other private companies, and individual investors) may need to be defined.
This may require confirmation that these potential investors are being actively
identified through individual meetings and/or publication in local newspapers
and would become shareholders by contributing equity in cash or in kind;
- Planning consent: when the
market is to be constructed on a new site it may be necessary to confirm that
a change of use certificate is available or that a structure plan amendment
decree has been issued;
- Land title and value: new
market sites may require land acquisition if the site is not presently in
the ownership of the implementing agency. With new urban markets it is normal
for the implementing agency not to own the site. This may necessitate either
lengthy negotiations or the use of compulsory purchase powers. It may be necessary
to obtain both a formal valuation and an official land-allocation decree (including
cadastre plans) to ensure that the site is unencumbered (e.g. there are no
claims from private individuals with former ownership or usage rights).
- In-kind contributions: with
rural markets, the market users are sometimes required to donate the land
as their contribution to the project. In that case, a Memorandum of Understanding
would need to be drawn-up between the implementing agency, the beneficiaries
and the local community;
- Traffic and road system: often,
one of the main justifications for the choice of a selected site is that it
is able to accommodate the substantially increased traffic flows caused by
market development. However, confirmation will need to be obtained from the
authorities (usually the Ministry of Transport) that the design and location
is acceptable. Particular attention will be required in relation to junction
location and spacing on national highways, and to the design of approach roads.
- Social and environmental impact assessments:
it may be necessary to commission, from an accredited consultant,
an environmental assessment of the market site, as required under local environmental
laws. This may also be required to satisfy the concerns of other government
departments, a donor or a lending agency.
- Social and environmental mitigation
measures: if the social and environmental impact assessment identifies
specific impacts, there may be a need to include civil works or other mitigation
measures to overcome the impact. These may need to be defined as preconditions
and agreed with an environmental agency.
