Activities Planned for Next Quarter. A number of plans were made during this past quarter to strengthen anchor firm competitiveness and vertical and horizontal linkages. As a result of recent gains in the implementation of the Enterprise Partnership Fund, PRODEL team members anticipate even greater emphasis will be placed in the coming quarter on activities to strengthen the ties between the anchor firm and its producers in addition to improving sector specific quality control procedures, for example: o PRODEL will facilitate a link between the Escoffee anchor firm and Xxxxx Xxxx indigenous Robusta Coffee producers in the Orellana Province of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region to utilize an existing coffee washing facility to increase production and quality levels. o PRODEL technical field personnel will facilitate work with producers in the Xxxxxx Chinchipe Province of southern Ecuador to link them with the Ecuatoriana de Chocolates anchor firm for the production of white chocolate that includes an origin certification process.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Anchor firms will select one individual from within their firm that will be tasked with recording information for the PRODEL ME&R system. A training workshop will be held the third week of October 2008 for those individuals in the use of the ME&R System. • Collection of key program management indicators will allow for effective anchor firm and PRODEL program progress tracking. • Make field visits to verify and validate information reported by the anchor firms. • Prepare plans for quarterly goals for the final five anchor firms to join the program.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Conduct workshops with selected anchor firms to prepare business plans and fill out the Enterprise Partnership Fund application in coordination with anchor firm representatives and producers. • Hold workshop with selected anchor firms and the National Financial Corporation to facilitate access to financing. • Seek additional funding sources to secure micro-enterprise loans for small producers through public and/or private financial entities. • Continue to monitor anchor firm financial indicators for all companies approved to date and discuss any anomalies. • Support the anchor firms in the implementation of their business plans and ensure that it is used as an effective tool to seek financial services and guide the business along a healthy path to increased prosperity for all members of the value chain.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Create a system for the service provider contracting process according to areas of priority as set by the PRODEL technical team in coordination with participating anchor firms and program beneficiaries. • Contract consultants to complete environmental reviews required by the USAID/Ecuador for grant implementation. • Develop the terms of reference to contract for specialized services as included in 20 anchor firm proposals for the Enterprise Partnership Fund.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Develop management models for improving the business climate in the 12 municipalities, including their respective goals for improvement. Implement the business registration module in the four municipalities that currently use the SIGGLO system.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Development of Anchor Firms Complete the 11 business plan documents for the remaining 11 anchor firms and participating producers. Implement the Enterprise Development Fund to include: corporate image development, infrastructure construction, and technical assistance. Work with anchor firms and their corresponding producers to produce sales and marketing agreements with prospective buyers and suppliers. Financial Services BNF and PRODEL will organize and carry out 20 presentations on access to microcredit for producers, reaching an estimated 1,400 producers. These presentations will be held throughout the various geographic areas where PRODEL is working during the months of January through May, 2009 and will cover producers in each of the six value chains covered by the program. As a follow up to this first round of sessions, a second phase of presentations will be planned in an effort to reach an estimated additional 1,000 PRODEL producers. In Coordination with the Ministry of Social Development, PRODEL will promote the Planting Partner Program, which is designed to refund Ecuadorian producers part of their expenses incurred in buying inputs for planting crops. The program will allow for the recovery of up $240 and help producers become part of a government supplier database. PRODEL will coordinate with the National Microfinance System Program to organize a workshop for producer associations to promote financing alternatives and product commercialization efforts. With support from the CFN, an informational and training workshop will be held for anchor firm staff to build capacity in the use of the CFN financial simulation model, one of the requirements to access CFN loans.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. During the 1st quarter of FY 2009, the program will prioritize the following activities: • Work with the remaining anchor firms to complete the process of reviewing and approving their proposals to be financed by the Enterprise Partnership Fund. • Receive the final proposals and review the supporting documentation required by the PRODEL Grants Technical Review Committee. • Sign agreements and conduct meetings with the anchor firms and their producers in an effort to implement activities according to the approved work schedules. • Hire technical assistance consultants to implement activities with growers and specialized technical advisory services for anchor firms through EPF. • Carry out follow-up visits to the first group of 10 anchor firms to ensure proper implementation of activities funded through the Enterprise Partnership Fund. • Hire a procurement assistant to facilitate timely disbursements of the Enterprise Partnership Fund within the sub contracts and grants department.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. During the next quarter, an additional eight anchor firms will begin implementation of the technical assistance, business development and improvement of production and processing infrastructure portions of their projects. A monitoring, evaluation and follow-up workshop will be held for the remaining nine anchor firms that did not participate in the first workshop. PRODEL M&E personnel will continue to make field visits to validate first-hand information reported from the field.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Farmer Field School workshops will be implemented in the southern region of Ecuador to introduce this methodology to extension agents working with anchor firms and producer groups in the south. Continue follow up visits to producer associations that received informational workshops from the National Development Bank. Organize a meeting among anchor firm representatives and credit agency Oikocredit to facilitate the link to potential financing. PRODEL team and the National Development Bank will evaluate the results of workshops held to date with participating producers to determine the possibility of additional events. Support anchor firms to implement their business plans as a management tool and strengthen financial analysis abilities and accounting systems through the tools provided through PRODEL in selected anchor firms and producer groups.
Activities Planned for Next Quarter. Follow-up visits to the participating municipalities are planned to ensure continuity and sustainability Facilitate the signing of agreements between selected ADES and the corresponding local governments, primarily in the southern region of Ecuador Validate and provide follow up to the proposals for the management model in the municipalities of Atacames, Rioverde and Xxxx Xxxxxx
