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Zimbabwe Youth and women empowerment project (YWEP) - Final evaluation

eval_number:

2699

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2699

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Global supply/value chains

category:

Enterprises

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comments:

ILO, Government, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), local community members involved in AEs.

challenges:

Inadequate capacity among community members owning and running AEs limits their ability to steer the companies operations at strategic level.

success:

However, the approach to allow the AEs to employ qualified and skilled personnel to take up the day-to-day management of the AEs was a positive move to compensate the knowledge/skills gap among community owners of AEs. The approach to include local businesspeople, local authorities, and Government in the boards of the AEs was also another positive approach to W WW.ILO.ORG/EVAL 132 4-Jul-22 harness locally available and diverse skills sets.

context:

Collaborations with micro-financing institutions (MFIs) would help to mobilise working capital required by the AEs beyond what the project could invest and Government providing necessary guarantees. Collaborations with Government initiated MFIs such as Women’s Empowerment Bank and Empower Bank would make it even easier for the AEs to access financing. Sufficient capacity building and mentorship of government counterparts and community owners is needed for effective management and oversight.

description:

For wider value chain benefits to be realised through the “trickle down” effect, the AE must operate at optimum capacity for at least 12 months before it can begin to sustain itself. To achieve this, working capital for: 1) marketing and product development; 2) purchase of raw materials and 3) salaries and other administrative costs for the start is required. Ideally, working capital to sustain operations of a budding AE may be required for a minimum of 12 months. Adequate capacity building of community members to manage AEs is critical, and it was provided. However, such training may only be effective when the persons being trained have a certain level of literacy to be able to cope with, comprehend and apply knowledge adequately and this level of literacy may not be available amongst those selected to be owners and Directors. At the district level, relevant officials from Government departments and rural district councils tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the operations of AEs are not entrepreneurs themselves and may need further training on entrepreneurship and business management to enhance their capacity to oversee the operations of AEs. To achieve sustainable supply chains, AEs should go beyond the cooperative members and partner with extension and other support services for producers. Other strategic partnerships can include micro-financing institutions, Employers Confederations of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) who can organize businesses to support AEs and Trade Unions who can offer training benefits to producers such as training on negotiations, Occupational Safety and Health thereby also helping to expand their membership.

administrative_issues:

There is need for ILO to support a full-time post (in addition to the AE full time staff) at the AE to support training and mentorship of stakeholders including networking and strengthening supply chains for the AE.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/234273

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location:

country:

Zimbabwe

region:

Africa

---

eval_title:

Zimbabwe Youth and women empowerment project (YWEP) - Final evaluation