BoP Protocol Process Overview
The BoP Protocol consists of three overlapping phases of activity that build a new, locally-embedded business and catalyze the local market in a progressive, evolutionary manner. The process takes approximately two years to complete, depending on a company's current level of capability and in-country relationships.
Phase I: Opening Up - Phase I begins with a company immersion in the community using home-stays to build rapport and a base of trust. The team then recruits a community cohort, and together they learn about each other's capabilities and needs and begin to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities. The output is an actionable, co-created business concept.
Phase II: Building the Ecosystem - In Phase II, the partners formalize a Project Team and evolve an initial product/service offering & brand position based on the co-created business concept. Action learning is used to empower & build the community team's business skills, while creating "buzz" in the larger community. The output is a community-tested business prototype.
Phase III: Enterprise Creation - Phase III evolves the full business model through small-scale tests and community engagement to catalyze local market demand. The community team deepens its management skills, and the company creates a scale-out platform. The output is a locally-embedded business.