[Stoves] Defining the "last mile"

Sat Dec 8 21:41:48 CST 2012

Hi Paul,

I am hardly one to defend the wisdom of institutional policy making on much of anything to do with development, but I'd give them a break here in inferring that  they seem to want, not so much to just any measure of physical distance of distribution, so much as an indication of  the last social /cultural /economic/technical-possibly including  logistics–barriers --whichever is/ the last ultimate hurdle that needs to be addressed before the stove is really accepted. 

Distributing as you are from one or two central points around the country, this is defined one way. Distribution of the briquette feul  from within the population (aka., local production to immediate local market), as is the case with the localised but widely diffused briquette production, the barriers are of probably different and more diverse types.  

I'd definately go the last mile to see how that is defined by the applicants though…

By the way all , we've jsut matriculated 15 trainers here in Guatemala who cna supply the equipment and trainign to your groups for very reasonable prices (About two weeks worth of briquette production at their going selling prices) 

Richard Stanley
www.legacyfound.org
La Antigua, Guatemala  

On Dec 8, 2012, at 12:02 PM, Paul Anderson wrote:

Dear Stovers,

I think you are aware of the USAID & Winrock message about the Expression of Interest (EOI) about grants for stove work in Kenya, mainly on distribution issues, not on production. They ask for comments to be submitted by January 11, 2013 to kgross at winrock.org (I only saved the .pdf so I do not have the location where you can download it. )

I wrote to Winrock and included the following:

I have read the solicitation of EOI and see no reason to wait until January to send this comment:.

In section 2.2: [ I will bring this discussion to the Stoves Listserv. I hope that you monitor those messages.]

Specific objective:
Remove barriers and strengthen distribution channels (especially those closest to the “last mile [2]”) to expand access to and increase consumer adoption and use of fuel-efficient cookstoves;

The footnote says:
[2] The last mile is defined as the last transaction in a business-to-consumer delivery service at a point when a product is delivered to the final recipient.

The objective is fine, but the definition is not what I think is the “last mile.” Remember, I am a retired university professor of GEOGRAPHY, especially of mapping sciences.

Your written definition seems to say the last mile is wherever the product reaches the purchaser, or the very last person on earth to buy one, even if he or she is a holdout who lives within a mile of the factory. Also, that "last mile" can never be quantified or identified or known to have been reached. It is the "pie in the sky" talk of politicians and dreamers (bless them all), but it is not very practical.

I have thought that the “last mile” is to reach the furthest point, the least accessible, the most remote potential purchasers. They do not necessarily buy or receive [gift?] a product. But they have been reached.

In some situations that can be quite easy, such as where a significant road goes to the edge of a lake or international border or some other barrier that is not easily crossed. The distribution chain has gone as far as it can; it has gone the last mile in that area.

Now consider remote areas with only footpaths plus some big obstacles like a cliff or river that is not commonly crossed. There could be another house or even a village on the other side and it could literally be less than a mile away, but that other side is actually serviced by different access roads and trails and different distributors and sales people.

Many of those remote people might be serviced at a village market (where they could see a stove demonstration or be able to purchase at some shop). Then getting the stove info and actual stoves to that village market would constitute reaching the last mile.

So the :|"last mile" is to reach the ones furthest away ON THAT PARTICULAR SYSTEM OF TRAVEL/COMMUNICATIONS. This can be objectively quantified in geographic terms. And you can mark it on a map and make sure that there are not isolated areas that were not reached. This is "Industrial / Business Geography" and is actually studied and optimized by some geographers (or marketers with a geographic perspective.)

I raise this discussion to the Stoves Listserv because there might be other interpretations of what is the “last mile”. Then Winrock can sort out its definition before the formal request for awards (RFA) is released.

Paul

-- 
Paul S. Anderson, PhD  aka "Dr TLUD"
Email:  psanders at ilstu.edu   Skype: paultlud  Phone: +1-309-452-7072
Website:  www.drtlud.com

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