METHODOLOGY FOR AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT AND MARKET LINKAGES COURSE

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

•         Explain the Value Chain, its concepts, principles and approaches and its role in sustainable economic development
•         Explain Value Chain Development and Actor Empowerment (VCD and AE)
•         Analyze the Value Chain using a variety of tools and steps, identifying constraints and opportunities for innovation
•         Identify the steps for building engagement among and between chain actors
•         Set up an effective monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment plan for a VCD and A E process

Introducing the value chain

• Formal definition of a value chain
• Traditional Selling Systems Compared with a Value Chain Marketing System
• Value Chain Marketing System
• Value Chain Framework
• The “new” framework for Chain Empowerment
• Chain Empowerment
• Case studies and group work

Value chain mapping and analysis

• Value chain development process
• Value chain selection
• Chain mapping and assessment
• Introduction to Value Chain selection process
• Building Engagement and Chain Development/Upgrading
• Chain Monitoring and Evaluation

Analyzing market and market development

• Introduction to market analysis
• Supply, demand and price setting
• Standards and certification
• Analyzing competition
• Group Exercise

Economic Sustainability

• Analyzing Economic Sustainability of Value Chains
• Introduction, calculating costs, revenue, profit margin, value added, value share
• Group work - the economic sustainability of selected value chains

Value chain relations and governance

• Analyzing value chain relations and governance
• Intro-Importance of VC relations and governance
• Analysis of value chain relations and governance
• Group work, presentation and discussion

Business Services and Finance

• The role of chain supporters; Business development services and Value Chain financing
• Group work – Role of VCD facilitator in enhancing availability of BDS to small holder farmers

Chain Context: Macro-environment

• The components of the macro- environment and their impact on value chain development
• Advocacy: - influencing the macro environment; Group work – PESTLE analysis of selected value chain

Developing Strategies for Chain Empowerment

• Introducing chain empowerment strategies
• Group work/case study on chain empowerment

Building Engagement and Chain Development

• Building engagement: obtaining “buy-in” from stakeholders
• Introduction to strategy development

Chain Monitoring and Evaluation

• Introduction; reiteration of concepts and terminology;
• Development of indicators and selection of analytical tools

Chain Learning and Innovation

• Introduction and examples
• Competencies and Roles of chain development facilitator’s and support agencies
• Roles of chain development facilitator’s, and support agencies
• The do’s and don’ts of facilitators; Key competencies of VCD facilitators
• Action planning
• Course evaluation

TRAINING METHODOLOGY

The training methodology combines lectures, discussions, group exercises and illustrations. Participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the topics. The emphasis is on the practical application of the topics and as a result participant will go back to the workplace with both the ability and the confidence to apply the techniques learned to their duties.