Sierra Leone

<p>AIM for Results is an intervention approach that strengthens the performance, efficiency and effectiveness of TISIs and builds their capacity to provide more effective support to the internationalisation needs of their clients, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).</p><p>AIM stands for Assess, Improve and Measure. It is a holistic and targeted integrated three-step-approach focusing on measurable results in order to improve the managerial, operational and service delivery performance of TSIs. The three pillars of AIM are offered either as a single module or as a complete performance improvement programme, depending on the needs of the beneficiary institutions.</p><p>&nbsp;In 2017, the project aims to improve the operational and managerial performance of 40 TISIs applying ITC&rsquo;s AIM For Results methodology.</p>

<p>The overall objective of the proposed project is to attract investment and promote trade and sustainable industrial and business development at continental level, concretely supporting the AfCFTA Secretariat and the African Union and delivering on the Africa-EU partnership for sustainable growth and jobs.&nbsp;</p><p>The project contributes to this objective by</p><ul><li>identifying trade and investment opportunities along regional value chains with potential at continental scale in Africa, including potential for investment by EU economic operators;</li><li>Strengthening the EU-Africa dialogue on trade and economic integration, informing high-level events such as the upcoming AU-EU Summit and European- African Business Forum (EABF)</li><li>identifying pilot/selected continental value chains that could be targeted for support in the EU 2021-27 aid programming exercise.</li></ul><p>It supports the implementation of the AfCFTA and ITC&apos;s One Trade Africa Initiative.</p>

<p>The SheTrades West Africa project, financed by the Korea International Cooperative Agency (KOICA), is being implemented in Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The project&rsquo;s goal is to improve the livelihoods of 10,000 women in selected agricultural value chains by 2023. The focus in Sierra Leone and Cote d&rsquo;Ivoire is cashew, in Liberia cassava and in Guinea shea. The project will be working with the governments (ministries of trade, agriculture and gender/women), Business Support Organisations, value chain operators, SMEs and women as part of the farming household to develop the competitiveness and inclusiveness of these sectors, create local value addition, establish new market linkages and increase the benefits for women in these value chains.</p>

<p>The project aims to enhance the competitiveness of the cocoa, palm oil and cassava sectors in Sierra Leone in order to boost the country&apos;s connection to regional and global value chains, create more jobs and strengthen its resilience against economic chocs. A<span lang="EN-CA">&nbsp;market driven and flexible approach will be embedded in the project interventions such that other value chains can benefit from the project activities and outputs. <span lang="EN-CA">This approach is consistent with the multi-sectoral investment programme led by the Government focusing, amongst others, on private sector development to drive socio-economic transformation in the aftermath of Ebola and falling iron prices. The Ministries in charge of Trade, Industry and Agriculture, our main partners, are&nbsp;</span></span><span lang="EN-CA"><span lang="EN-CA">working to increase the competitiveness of 1 000 SMEs to add value and find new markets for farm products, to ensure diversification of economic activities and avoid falling in the trap of an exclusively mineral based economy. Ensuring equal access of female and male entrepreneurs to the benefits of this national policy will be key for its success.</span></span></p>

<p><span>The overall objective of the regional programme is to &lsquo;&rsquo;Strengthen the competitiveness of West Africa through an enhanced level of production, transformation and export capacities of the private sectors in line with the regional and national industrial and SME strategies&rsquo;&rsquo;. The specific objective is &lsquo;&rsquo;to improve the performance and growth of selected priority sectors and value chains and related services by stimulating their contribution to industry, regional trade and exports&rsquo;&rsquo;. The intervention of ITC in the form of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP) will entail the implementation of the activities related to&nbsp;</span><span>the promotion of better regional linkages among selected value chain, support to</span>&nbsp;<span>key regional intermediary organizations, the reinforcement of industrial competitiveness in the region, and the establishment of the West African Competitiveness Observatory and related business tools.</span></p>

<p><span lang="EN-US">This project aims to address economic and development challenges faced by Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea by rebuilding and reinforcing the productive and trade capacities across the cocoa and cocoa derivatives value chain. It will enable smallholder producers to improve post-harvest efficiency, connect better to markets, add value to increase their competitiveness and comply with standards. Following a step-by-step approach, interventions first focused on Sierra Leone, building on and consolidating activities started under a bridge project launched in Q2 2017 leading to the present NTF IV Mano River Cocoa project. The project will apply lessons learned and expertise gained in Sierra Leone in two other members of MRU, namely Liberia and Guinea.&nbsp;</span></p>