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0-1. Value Chains and Development

The point of departure of the training module, and indeed the fundamental goal to which it seeks to contribute is that of "pro-poor growth' (PPG). Wherever poor people are able to participate in product markets, e.g. in the markets for food or labour-intensive manufacturing products, promoting the respective value chains can help lift people out of poverty. Value chain promotion represents a systematic approach to economic development and can be applie for promoting pro-poor growth.

2. Analysing a Value Chain

ValueLinks Module 2 describes the economic system organised around particular product markets. It provides a model and situation analysis of the value chain in question. The module presents principles and guidelines for mapping and quantification, as well as an introduction to the concept of value addition.

3. Determining the Chain Upgrading Strategy

Formulating a strategy to develop a value chain always has two dimensions: The first concerns what the actors in a value chain must do to become more competitive and to generate greater value added in the future: “value chain upgrading”. The second dimension is called “value chain promotion” and concerns the role of external facilitators. Following this distinction, we talk about two types of strategies: an upgrading strategy and a promotion strategy.

4. Facilitating the Chains Development Process

This ValueLinks module presents know-how and tools which can guide external facilitators in their task of promoting and facilitating a process of value chain upgrading. This includes bringing chain actors together, identifying opportunities, and enabling private enterprises to organise themselves and take action.

5. Strengthening Private Business Linkages and Associations

The coordination between different chain operators is at the core of the value chain concept. This module is about improving business linkages at both levels between operators at the various stages of the value chain (vertical business linkages) and between operators working at the same stage (horizontal collaboration).

6. Engaging in Public-Private Partnerships

This module looks into the possibilities of taking advantage of the direct or indirect contributions to development made by private businesses. It also imparts knowledge on how actively to involve private firms in development work, and which are the most suitable areas of cooperation.

7-8. Strengthening Services in Value Chains

This module provides guidelines on how to strengthen financial and non-financial service arrangements in order to improve chain efficiency. The task of external facilitators is to advise on the most appropriate service arrangements, work on service market failures and build the capacity of service providers without distorting service markets.

9. Introducing Social, Ecological and Product Quality Standards

The focus here is on how to promote value chain upgrading, in this case by developing and implementing standards, and by building quality assurance schemes as well as verification systems and mechanisms.

10. Improving the Business Environment of Chains

This module concerns the ways in which influence can be exerted on the responsible government institutions and other involved stakeholders.

11. Monitoring and Managing Impact

This module presents the main principles of monitoring in value chain promotion. It concludes the cycle of modules addressing the tasks of facilitators, so that from selecting a value chain for promotion (Module 1) to facilitating the process (Module 4), we finally arrive at results monitoring.