Donors, stakeholders and beneficiaries are increasingly
concerned about the lack of impact that trade related technical assistance are
producing due to the duplication of services by TSIs and other development
agencies. To respond to this, TSIs are pooling their resources, skills and
knowledge to form networks which together provide a complete and relevant range
of service offers. This approach allows TSIs together to reach wider audiences
in an effective and efficient manner.
Information
With the complexity of today’s international
business environment, the needs of the business community are too diverse to be
met by a single institution. Achieving sustainable export success requires
access to a wide variety of trade support services. These services, in turn,
require a range of resources and skills that can rarely be met by an individual
TSI. The concept of networking has become increasingly important among people
and institutions in their efforts to support SMEs. TSIs usually decide to establish
linkages for a variety of reasons such as, the joint implementation of trade
development programmes, influencing trade policy processes through joint
lobbying and advocacy, sharing of resources and skills or the sharing of
practices to acquire new knowledge.
Significant strategic benefits
are gained when all parties of a network share business objectives and work
together for their achievement. The strength of networks comes through
collaboration built on mutually enriching activities and equally important
roles.
ITC provides advisory and
training services to TSIs interested in establishing, managing and maintaining
networks. These services are structured to address the major issues that
determine the impact and sustainability of networks including:
- The
outline of a shared vision through defining the
function of the network, clearly set objectives and agreed joint outcomes
- Establishment of a framework
for the collaborative process (governance, decision making and accountability)
- Establishing roles and
procedures for the management and maintenance of the network
- Ensuring availability of
resources
Communication and marketing strategies to ensure
visibility of network activities to the appropriate audiences.
Advisory Services
To address and overcome the major challenges of
TSIs to establish and strengthen sustainable trade support networks ITC’s
advisory services are supported by a methodology and tools which include the
following components:
- Seminars
and activities to identify potential networking opportunities and achievable
benefits to stimulate and encourage the development of well-focused
networks
- Identification
of potential key partners, priority areas/services and joint outcomes to
be considered
- Models
of Networking Protocols that define:
- the roles
and responsibilities of all parties,
- the options
for governance structure and coordination mechanisms and
- the standard
procedures for various types and levels of networks.
- Assistance in the effective design and operations of the TSI network
Facilitation in the establishment of recording
and reporting mechanisms to assess the performance and effectiveness of their
efforts.
The TSI
capacity building programme (link to one page TSI capacity building programme) includes one module dedicated to the
establishment and management of networks.
Training
The TSI
capacity building programme (link to one page TSI capacity building programme) includes one module dedicated to the
establishment and management of networks. This module equips TSIs with the ability to
define the networks strategy and governance structure, identify the resources and
competencies needed to achieve the networks’ objectives, define roles,
evaluate, select and allocate networking partners to develop, market and
deliver the networks initiatives to its beneficiaries and measure the impact of
its efforts.
Projects
To find
out more about ITC’s active projects in this area of work, such as the Trade
Promotion Organization (TPO) Conference and Awards and the Enhancement of Arab
Capacity for Trade, please expand this section. The biennial
TPO Network World Conference and Awards is an initiative by TPOs for TPOs which
provides a platform for the dynamic exchange of information on current global
issues challenging the trade environment, good practices and experiences. The
TPO Network has sprung up from this event to provide an ongoing platform for
TSIs to benefit from opportunities for collaboration and access to a global
body of knowledge. More information can be found at: www.tponetwork.net
ITC is providing support to the Enhancement of Arab Capacity for Trade (EnACT) and the Pan African Capacity for Trade (PACT II) programmes to help
sustain the results produced by components of these programmes through newly
established TSI networks.