Agri-ProFocus – IPER (Initiative for Rural Entrepreneurship development in Rwanda)

September 2010

BRIEF PRESENTATION

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Brief history of APF-IPER

Early 2008 ICCO, Agriterra and Terrafina took the initiative to join forces concerning their value chain, producer organisation and rural finance oriented programs in Rwanda.The Agri-ProFocus support office was requested to start and facilitate a trajectory of rural entrepreneurship promotion in Rwanda.

Progressively, other APF members joined and created IPER. 2

’Agri-ProFocus members in Rwanda

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IPER History

November 2008: Training on value chain Kick off meeting for APF members and Rwandan partners

In the second semester of 2009, the IPER coalition organized coaching missions to the created agribusiness clusters and started the development of a toolbox for facilitating multi-stakeholder processes

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IPER HISTORY (Continued)

• At the beginning of February 2010 a planning workshop was held with the participation of all coalition members and their partners, Agri business Clusters (ABCs)and other actors involved in value chain development.

• IPER oscillates around the dynamics of 15 practical agribusiness clusters, that were identified in a bottom-up manner. The ABCs operate on different domestic food value chains (rice, maize, potatoes, wheat, cassava and honey)

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APF- IPER history objectives

• Rwanda Country Agreement signed in 2009 by APF members

• Objectives!

1)Establish solid, transparent and action-oriented support programs with local partners and actors to promote rural entrepreneurship and increase the performance in different commodity chains through; (i) the enhancement of the capacities of agribusiness clusters (ii) increasing access to support services, and (iii) the empowerment of producer organisations

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IPER Objectives (Continued)

2) Enhance cross-cutting collaboration and learning among parties and their local partners

3) Support local partners to establish a knowledge platform in order to jointly develop and disseminate knowledge

4) Support local partners and local governing structures in the establishment of a sustainable support modus for promoting rural entrepreneurship.

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Outcomes of IPER

1. Vibrant action and learning network between coalition members, their Rwandan partners and others (PO, Private sector, Donors, Government, Research Institutions, etc.)

2. A strong group of facilitators exists and is effective3. Well functioning agribusiness clusters4. Better quality and more effective services provided to

agribusiness clusters

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AGRI BUSINESS CLUSTER

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CHALLENGES

Entrepreneurship promotion is not easy Facilitation is not the same as capacity

building. The current situation is a bit confusing

The size of some clusters does not allow a good linkage among the actors of the chain

Approaches are not harmonized among APF-IPER coalition members

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SOME STRATEGIES

1) Stimulate entrepreneurship at the ABC level: Introduction of a basket fund : ABCs write proposals, hire service providers and sign contracts with them

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Change from

Development agency

Local NGO/ facilitator

Farmers as target groups funds

accountability

servi-ces

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Farmers as actors / entrepreneurs

Service providers

Dev. agenciesBasket

fund Accountability

Services & accountability

Needs / ToR

funds

Request service provision

funds

fundsfunds

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Some strategies (Continued)

2) Facilitation:

ABCs identify proximity facilitatorsCurrent facilitators become coaches Some coaches will become facilitators

3) Harmonize approaches

FACILITATION DOCUM.docx

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!

MERCI BEAUCOUP!!!!

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