Partner Inception Workshop Enhancing Soybean and Cowpea Value Chains

Facilitator Patrick Egessa (left) and
EC evaluator of PAEPARD Hubert Cathala (right)

13th – 17th February 2012Kampala. Partner Inception meeting. Enhancing Soybean and Cowpea Value Chains for Increased Productivity, Incomes and Nutritional Security of Smallholder Farmers in Eastern and Central Africa.

Soybean and Cowpea Value Chains for Increased Productivity, Incomes and Nutritional Security of Smallholder Farmers in Eastern and Central Africa consortium is holding its inception meeting in Kampala- Uganda with support from PAEPARD and RUFORUM. The objectives of this meeting are;

1. To bring together all partners of the consortium.
2. Explore and design a framework of engagement in response to targeted calls.
3. Gain an insight into all partners areas of expertise, skills and commitment.
4. Explore linkages and collaborations

Criteria for assessing the competitiveness of the Crops

The meeting agreed to develop a criteria that would be used to assess the competitiveness of the legumes.

• Potential to increase employment
• Number of SMEs within the sector
• Potential for Value addition
• Potential to increase income
• Number of women and Youth – are their studies?
• Government involvement in the sector
• Research opportunities along the chain.

Day 2 discussions focused on the requirements for the AU call, which this consortium is targeting. Looked at broadly, the discussion was guided using the following  questions

      What were the call requirements?

      What should be our priority sector

      What was expected on  partnerships

      What was the evaluation criteria?

      What was the  selection criteria?

      What was the award criteria?

Issues raised in response to discussion on call

      How  we demonstrate capacity/ expertise.

      How we demonstrate that we were involved in the process.

      Technical expertise in the required sectors

      Sustainability of the results

      And  the Management structure