Expert Group Meeting: developing a value chain diagnostics tool for common practices at UNIDO

The meeting brought together some 20 external experts drawn from academia, development agencies, NGOs and other UN organizations and about 30 UNIDO professionals in the theory and practice of value chain analysis and development.

The purposeof this consultation was to validate the background working paper on the development of a tool for value chain diagnostics, to provide inputs to the UNIDO value chain methodology and to identify parameters and indicators for the value chain diagnostic tool.

The meeting, which took place over two and a half days in Vienna, featured plenary presentations by experts on key themes in value chain analysis, as well as break-out groups to develop further ideas that could form part of the diagnostic tool. External and UNIDO value chain specialists exchanged lively discussions on possible tool and methodology for value chain diagnostics for industrial development.

The distinct outputsof the EGM were:

• Outline of the value chain diagnostic tool;
• EGM report including reports from break-out group discussions; and
• A network of experts to develop the tool.

The expert consultation is part of a wider processfor the development of this diagnostic tool. In November 2008, UNIDO started to develop a diagnostic tool for industrial value chain analysis. The tool draws on existing approaches from UNIDO’s thematic branches and elsewhere and focuses on the Organization’s core themes, in particular agro-industrial development, trade capacity building, private sector development and industrial energy efficiency.

The tool is intended to help UNIDO situate its interventions in a common diagnostic framework for industrial development. It is also expected to facilitate coordination of activities among UNIDO units and help identify options for partnering with other institutions.

For more information, download EGM report.