To prepare for the 2002 Executive Forum, ITC held its first e-discussion on the issues to be debated in Montreux this September.

The aim is to develop a template for national export strategy-makers that will provide them with a detailed road map to managing the strategy development process.

The e-discussion extended from 8 April to 14 June 2002.

We expected views on:

• What are the key issues confronting export strategy-makers in developing and transition economies? What issues should be first priority?
• To what extent should national export strategy address issues relating to the development of national capacity/competency to export? What is the ideal balance between capacity/competency development objectives and those concerned with market development?
• What are the issues influencing 'transaction costs' that national export strategy must address? How can the constraint of high transaction costs be most effectively tackled? What lessons have been learned?

• How should the national export strategy-maker deal with the conflicting long and short-term priorities? Of commercial and developmental objectives?
• What are other examples of conflicting priorities and how should they be resolved?

• What are the principal resource constraints confronting the effective implementation of strategy? Financial, institutional or personnel?
• How have strategy-makers successfully resolved these constraints?
• How have strategy-makers ensured that strategy is effectively supported through a sustained inflow of financial resources? What revenue generation approaches work?

• Who are the key stakeholders in the export strategy formulation process?
• How can their effective participation be assured?

Montreux Topics

We also appreciated ideas on topics to be debate in Montreux this September under the theme "The Values of National Strategy":

• Creating Value: Moving from Comparative to Competitive Advantage
• Adding Value: Building Value-Addition Alliances
• Projecting Value: Is there a Case for National Branding?
• Capturing Value: The National Value Chain Approach to Export Strategy Development
• Confirming Value: Export Strategy Performance and Measurement