In fulfilment of CSIR-STEPRI’s mandate of developing and managing STI human resource, and as part of the Institute’s strategic objective of building capacity of staff in relevant competencies, a two-day training was organized on Value Chain Development and analysis for STEPRI Researchers. The training was held on 24-25 January 2017.
The objectives of the two-day training were to:
- Deepen understanding of STEPRI Researchers on value chain development
- Sharpen skills in value chain analysis
- Improve skills in identifying appropriate interventions specifically for rice value chain development in Ghana
The training formed part of the methodology being employed under the Programme for Accompanying Research in Agricultural Innovations (PARI) project to conduct value chain analysis and identify constraints and innovation opportunities in the rice sector with a focus on the Hohoe and Jasikan Districts of the Volta Region in Ghana.
The Resource Person, Mr. Mark Kofi Fynn, is currently an Agribusiness Advisor to the African Union Commission. The training was attended by 20 participants with different research backgrounds.
Training content
The content of the training was based on the ValueLinks Methodology developed by GIZ. Topics covered were:
- Context of Value Chain Development
- Introduction of the Value Chain Concept
Value Chain Analysis
- Value Chain mapping
- Value Chain Strategy
- Developing a strategy for upgrading the rice value chain in Ghana
- Fields on investment: Linkages and Associations
- Fields of Investment: Inputs and services
- Identification of fields of investment for rice value chain in Ghana
- Fields of Investment: Finance, standards, policies
The training was participatory hence participants performed and presented group tasks, which provided input for the PARI rice value chain analysis.
Evaluation
Generally, participants evaluated the training as very useful and timely and provided new insights that will be relevant for research and development activities. Participants called for more of such training opportunities to enhance their research and analytical skills in this competitive era.