Value chain upgrading initiatives and Public Private Partnerships (PPP) - Trainings in South East Asia and Peru

For several international cooperation projects in the Philippines and Laos we conducted training and advisory missions to increase the competitiveness of selected value chains and add value to the local production. We supported local stakeholders and support agencies in defining upgrading strategies based on current weaknesses and market opportunities. The methodology we apply bases on the GIZ ValueLinks approach. Our special focus lies on establishing stable trading relations through improved horizontal and vertical business linkages as well as Public Private Partnerships.

Philippines: Value chain training (ValueLinks) together with GB Banjara and Ujjwal Pokhrel (GIZ Nepal) for 4 GTZ projects ("Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustainable Employment Program (SMEDSEP)", "Environment and Rural Development Program (EnRD)", "Trade Policy and Trade Promotion" and "Promoting economic cooperation in BIMP-EAGA"). The final report of the mission can be downloaded here. Laos: Value chain training (ValueLinks) and strategy advise for the "Rural Development of Mountainous Areas (RDMA)"-Program of GIZ. Participants were from public agencies (GIZ, SNV, CIM, etc.) and private Business Development Services providers (ECB, etc.).

An important tool within value chain upgrading projects are development partnerships with the business community, also called Public Private Partnerships (PPP). The potential for cooperation between development agencies and companies has increased over the past years, as local and international retailers and wholesalers increasingly invest significant resources and efforts into upgrading local suppliers (farmers and their groups, SME). Development projects and its counterparts are making use of this engagement to leverage their own project activities by joining hands with these private partners. This allows both public and private partners to better reach their respective objectives. Within this framework we support actors from government institutions, development agencies and the business community to generate project ideas, find the right partners and develop project concepts. Specific PPP trainings and building the required partnership skills are part of our services, as happened in a series of workshops and meetings in Peru.