Roots of Success: A Review of Two Years of Organizational Development

by Christoph Bracher

... with stakeholder platforms in the potato value chain in Nigeria and Cameroon. Two years on, accompaniment for two stakeholder platforms for potato value chains in Nigeria and Cameroon has come to an end. This is a good opportunity to look back at two very different paths towards platform development.
Congratulations to the elected board of the Association Nationale des Acteurs de la Chaîne de Valeur Pomme de Terre du Cameroun (ANAFPCAM) / Cameroon National Association of Actors of the Potato Sector (CAMNAPS)
Congratulations to the elected board of the Association Nationale des Acteurs de la Chaîne de Valeur Pomme de Terre du Cameroun (ANAFPCAM) / Cameroon National Association of Actors of the Potato Sector (CAMNAPS)

In November 2022, after two years’ accompaniment, activities to support development of stakeholder platforms for potato value chains in Nigeria and Cameroon have come to an end. This is a good opportunity to look back at developments since the last newsletter article of 2021.

In Nigeria, five workshops were held to strengthen both protagonists in value chains and also the potato platform as an organisation. As well as the vision process, stakeholder analysis and defining strategic priorities and activities, initiatives also encompassed measures to strengthen the personal skills of platform members, which included leadership aspects, clarifying roles, lobbying expertise and individual coaching for some. The consequently enhanced abilities of the platform and its members have shown their effectiveness. For example, during a major late blight outbreak last year, the platform was called upon by the Ministry of Agriculture and involved in implementing emergency measures. Furthermore, platform representatives’ participation at last year’s World Potato Congress in Dublin led to intended collaboration of the platform with actors from the private sector as well as research. Both are clear examples of the increased visibility and perception of the platform as representing the potato sector and the strengthened abilities of its representatives.

In Cameroon, after a large workshop on vision and the decision of those involved to create an interprofession (a kind of trade association), workshops were held with representatives from production and seed multiplication.  Production and seed should form two so-called “collèges”, each representing a value chain link within the future interprofession. These workshops addressed the why, what and how of each collège to bring together the diverse needs and perspectives of those involved. These workshops were complemented by a day jointly for producers and seed multipliers. Here, forms of cooperation and communication between the future collèges were covered together. Since individuals cannot be members of the collèges, the next step forward was reworked more flexibly; in addition, preparation and accompaniment were provided to support the foundation of five regional associations of potato producers, as well as a national seed producers’ association, up to registration. Then, in early November 2022, delegates from these associations met for a joint founding workshop of the national potato association. This association can later be easily transformed into an interprofession once the legal basis is approved. The foundation workshop was a special experience for all participants, not only because it represented the preliminary culmination of self-determined evolution, but also because it made clear the commitment and motivation necessary for constructive cooperation on an equal footing, oriented around a common vision and the evolution of the value chain for the benefit of all stakeholders. This was impressively demonstrated by the fact that, in view of the ethnic tensions along language borders, the decision was taken that the national association and the future interprofession should be bilingual and include in its bodies the languages represented and provide bilingual copies of all documents.

In both countries, the platforms were also actively involved in developing national strategies for the potato sector. This represents an important step in sector evolution because, through the platforms, the perspectives, challenges and especially the potential of value chain protagonists themselves have been integrated into national strategies. Given the fragmentation in the potato sector, this is a notable success for the platforms.

The AHA wishes the stakeholder platforms, their members and the people that they represent continued success in their activities to develop and strengthen the potato value chain. Finally, we would like to emphasise that these support measures would not have been possible without the high level of commitment and expertise of AHA trainers, local consultants, the GIZ and other supporters. We would like to thank you once again!

The Author

Christoph Bracher

Programme Manager international