Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

218 Rebuilding West Africa’s food potential

B. GAIN diagnostic workshop

a) Internal analysis of the PO

The main component of the GAIN methodology is to organize a three-day assessment workshop to

examine the PO’s current situation and its relations with its direct economic and institutional partners.

The first part of the workshop aims to have all the participants assess the internal governance of the

organization, the capacity for self-management and the ability to mobilize its own resources to respond

to the members’ economic needs, as well as the organization’s ability to develop a joint approach so

that its members may better integrate the market.

The PO’s internal assessment begins with an evaluation of its strengths and internal constraints in relation

to major income-generating activities, the roles and responsibilities of different members (distinguishing

men, women and youth), the general productivity level, the current state of production and market

surplus, and the types of relationships with the market. This first assessment step lasts one day and is

sub-divided into four sub-themes:

The main income-generating activities for members

• Farm income generating activities


• Non-farm income generating activities


• Distribution of tasks / responsibilities (men/women, individual/group, family labor/employee)

Internal resources, capitalization and members’ expertise

• Capital: land, animals, water, machinery, storage facilities, etc.


• Skills: Members’ experience/expertise, types of training received (technical, economic, management,
  leadership), training providers and beneficiaries among members;


• Social capital: support groups, degree of group(s)’ solidarity and social cohesion, etc.


• Production techniques (inputs, machinery, animals) qualitative assessment of the productivity level
  of major agricultural activities;


• Loans (who has access; eligible activities; conditions);


• Internal savings (individual and group).

Internal governance, structure and decision-making and information sharing modes

• Formal structure of the PO (governing body, roles and functions);


• Forms of governance and sharing of responsibility among members (decision-making terms,
  information flow, relations between leaders and members);


• Level of members’ participation (membership, frequency of meetings, etc.)

Level of market integration, market surplus, sales and ability vis-à-vis the market

• Importance of surplus for market from crop/agricultural products (crops; consumption/sale ratio);


• Products specific for market (farm and non-farm);


• Access to market information;


• Marketing methods (grouped - individual sales, frequency/sale period, sales points, storage possibilities,
  etc.)

These four sub-themes are summarized in Table 1 below.

For each of the above topics, the facilitators’ role is to formulate the questions, take notes, organize,

clarify and sort the answers and ensure a wide participation of participating members.