April 10, 2008

ACDI/VOCA Conducts Value Chain Workshop in Ecuador

ACDI/VOCA’s Local Business Development Program—Programa de Desarrollo de Empresas Locales (PRODEL), as it is known locally—in collaboration with the Academy for Education Development (AED), organized and conducted a value chain workshop in Quito, Ecuador, March 26-28. This workshop, facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Dunn of Impact LLC, brought together 35 participants made up of PRODEL program staff, USAID/Ecuador, Plan Ecuador (USAID’s Ecuadorian counterpart) and implementing private sector partners to discuss the value chain approach and its practical applications for the PRODEL project.

The workshop was based on value chain training curriculum developed by ACDI/VOCA for USAID under the Accelerated Microenterprise Advancement Project-Business Development Services (AMAP BDS) project. Participants discussed key concepts, tools and guidelines for value chain development, including strategies for addressing bottlenecks, promoting private-sector ownership of the competitiveness process and catalyzing improved performance. The training prepared PRODEL staff to better implement key components of the project, including firm selection, identification of constraints and opportunities for sustainable growth, and development of strategic and individual assistance packages for firms.

ACDI/VOCA is a leader in value chain approaches to development and helps to increase incomes in poor communities and promote economic growth by enhancing performance and thereby competitiveness of micro and small enterprises. To learn more about value chain training, click here.