Trade Strategy Development & Implementation
 

Discover, SHAPE, and Compete products help sector stakeholders, or small groups of exporters identify opportunities, diagnose trade performance issues, develop strategies to improve competitiveness and organise their implementation. The products can be combined or used separately for one or many sectors at the same time, and adapted to suit specific situations.

  
 
       
 

SHAPE is a strategy development process for sectors that is supported by technical assistance from ITC and delivered through a counterpart organisation. It is used to help stakeholders representing each stage of a sector to develop comprehensive trade strategies and organize their implementation. Outputs include: value chain performance diagnoses, strategic vision, market options, objectives, implementation plans, progress indicators, resource requirements and evaluation criteria.

 

  
Discover        
 
         
 

Discover is a value chain diagnostic tool and training package provided to business and trade support organisations for the purpose of analysing processes, sector issues and planning response activities. Outputs include an evaluation of market requirements, a diagnosis of sector value chain performance and an action plan. Discover can be transferred to a counterpart to use independently or with support from ITC.

  

Compete is a strategy development process for enterprises that is supported by technical assistance from ITC and delivered through a counterpart organisation. It is used to help groups of enterprises in the same sector to identify market success factors, plan approaches to new markets, develop optimum value chains, create business plans and organize their implementation
 
All of the products are provided through country counterpart organisations that benefit from continuous coaching given by ITC specialists throughout each process. Stakeholders, supported by ITC and a counterpart organisation, are responsible for undertaking value chain diagnostics and developing strategy content. They take part in group exercises in a number of short, practical workshops that are delivered in the language of participants.

Experience has shown that the key ingredients for success are a high level of engagement and motivation for change on the part of the business community, government agencies and trade support organisations.

Strategy outputs have inspired changes in legislation, regulations and trade negotiating positions, and also led to improvements in working practices, livelihoods, and exports. Projects and public/private partnerships have been created to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities identified in the strategies.