Session 10: Review of
Conclusions: Where Do we Go from Here?
The
Issue:
Moving from comparative to competitive advantage requires strategic
analysis and action at the national and sector levels, as well as at
the enterprise level.
The decision to launch action at the national level is the
responsibility of the developing countries and, more specifically,
those public-sector officials concerned with export performance.
Technical support from international organizations can effectively
support this national initiative.
To ensure that technical assistance effectively support the national
effort, Southern Africa countries must also approach technical
assistance from a strategic perspective.
Experience confirms that this is not always the case.
The
Proposition:
To complement the public-private sector partnership in strategy
design and implementation, Southern African countries should, as a
matter of strategy, adopt a partnership approach to international
technical cooperation.
The ideal scenario would be for national export strategy-makers to
establish a working partnership with “a consortium” of international
technical assistance organizations, each of which would provide
specialized support to the design and implementation of strategy,
based on its specific area of expertise.
Such a strategy ensures that
·
International technical assistance is “demand-led”, rather
than “supply-driven” and there is full local ownership of the
process and eventual output (i.e. a national export strategy);
·
Technical assistance is effectively coordinated and efficiently
implemented, from both the recipient and providers perspectives;
·
Technical and operational synergies are generated through such
coordination.
The
Focus of Debate:
The concluding debate of the Southern African Regional Executive
Forum will draw on the conclusions and recommendations made during
earlier sessions. Discussion will centre on the questions
·
“In
what areas of strategy management is support must urgently required?
·
What
are the modalities for effective delivery of such support? and
-
How can the International Trade Centre be of greatest help?
