VCB-N Services

Major Services to be provided by VCB-N and its Members

The VCB-N aims to deliver the following External and Internal functions:

EXTERNAL: rendering services to a diverse client base:

1. VCD/MSD Training and Capacity Building

• Conduct institutional assessment and training needs analysis for identifying institutional capacity and staff competence and skills gaps in providing VCD and MSD related consultancy, and identifying their concrete demands on VCD/MSD training and VCD consultancy;
• Develop VCD/MSD Training Curriculum and VCD Field Work Manual for trainers, VCD facilitators, project staff and other appliers;
• Conduct VCD trainings for IFAD’s executing partners and other in-need organizations;

2. VCD/MSD Consultancy

• VCB-N and its members provide demand-driven consultancies to poverty alleviation and agricultural development projects funded by the governments and international donors, private sector including social entrepreneurs;
• Ideally, the consultancy service is provided during the whole project lifecycle, for instance: (i) designing VCD component during project designing period; (ii) facilitating the VCD implementation and capacity building; (iii) Facilitating establishment and conducting M&E during implementation period; (iv) independent mid-term and final evaluation of VCD components of agricultural and poverty alleviation projects.

3. VCD/MSD Policy Research and Governmental Consultation

• Conduct and facilitate VCD related policy research in the member countries for identifying policy gaps and constraints and making recommendations;
• Carry out VCD/MSD policy dialogues and consultation through workshops and conferences with governments and international donor organizations;
• Provide policy advice to governmental organizations for creating an enabling policy and institutional environment for pro-poor value chain development;

INTERNAL or Supporting Services: Strengthening the VCB-N and its functioning

Network Strengthening & Knowledge Management

• Create and sustain a VCD/MSD webpage and database as a knowledge pool to share information, knowledge and resources among network members and with other partner organizations and potential actors related to VCD/MSD;
• Compile and distribute newsletters to potential clients, international donors and governmental organizations;
• Compile and publish VCD & MSD Research papers and policy study reports for enhancing the academic and policy consultancy reputation and track-record of CoEs;
• Network Management and member coordination;
• Build and maintain a database of CoEs and experts, take stock and update work track records – become an accessible value chain knowledge hub for the region;
• Develop Smart Boxes (tools, training modules, produces for service offering) and quality standards for its member base;
• Promote, brand and market VCB-N and CoEs products and services;
• Continuously track and identify business and learning opportunities;
• Broker/liaise between clients and CoE(s) by proactively promoting the services of CoEs;
• Regularly undertake capacity building activities (ToTs, regional workshops) for members to ensure service quality;
• Build quality standards and operate quality assurance mechanisms;
• Organize thematic regional and international conferences.