Value Chain Analysis

Contributing to economic and social development

Over the past decades, the processes that bring along our (agro) industrial products and services have been segmented and moved to dispersed locations around the globe. The global or regional value chains that resulted from this process offer national economies the opportunity to specialize on individual stages. However, the extent to which participation in global value chains positively contributes to domestic development goals depends on the conditions under which domestic industry and farming can participate in these chains. The institutional context (such as government regulation) is crucial to led value chains offer domestic companies opportunities for upgrading, acquiring advanced technology, for creating new jobs, with learning opportunities, more inclusiveness and sustainability in production.

The Value Chain Analysis program focuses on how developing economies can benefit from global and regional value chains. Three inter-related aspects will be highlighted: (a) Strategies for particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in global and regional value chains; (b) Policies for governments and business support organizations to help SMEs insert themselves into such chains; and (c) Opportunities for governments and civil society organizations to promote green and inclusive value chains.

Reasons to follow the Value Chain Analysis course

• Understand the nature of GVCs and the importance of governance and upgrading in such value chains
• Learn how to use GVCs for policy-making and SME strategizing
• Learn how to design upgrading strategies for industry sectors and individual SMEs

Course objectives

At the end of the course you:

• Will understand (a) the main drivers of global value chain development, and (b) the relationships between SME sustainability strategies and value chain governance and upgrading.
• Can apply the new knowledge to analyze the competitive position of a national industry sector in the global economy, and devise a suitable upgrading strategy.
• Can critically assess the implications for business development.
• Can communicate about the analysis and implications to both lay and specialist audiences in the private and public sectors.
• Can carry out an appropriate value chain analysis at company or national level.

Course topics

Topics included in the program are:

• The rise of Global Value Chains (GVCs)
• GVC Governanc
• GVC Upgrading
• Developing economies and GVCs
• Private sector development in value chains
• Monitoring & results measuring of value chain interventions
• Value chain collaboration & partnerships

Teaching methods

This course involves an interactive learning approach, in which the participant is stimulated to move beyond his/her own country or industry sector and to connect the major changes in the entire world to personal experience as well as business cases.

Learning takes place through

• Self-study
• Classroom interactive lecturing
• In-class group assignments to reflect on the learning (e.g. mini-case studies)
• Guest lectures
• Individual assignment, presentation and discussion