COMESA/LLPI in its effort to become a premier Institute in the global environment, is putting in place frameworks to strengthen its delivery model. LLPI’s work is aimed at transforming the leather value chain in the COMESA region, to migrate from production and marketing of raw materials and semi processed commodities to finished leather, footwear and leather goods.
LLPI, as an institution, in order to deliver on this, should be well oiled to perform systematically to allow it to deliver efficiently and effectively. Secondly, the region has serious deficit with regard to technical and entrepreneurial skills at various levels of the value chain and also among support institutions. In response to this LLPI, held a four-day workshop (from 22nd to 25th April 2017) to unpack its strategy in order to enhance its capacity to deliver on its 10-year strategic plan (2016-2025) and also to craft curriculum outlines covering 29 short term training programs focusing on SMEs.
The workshop was held at Pyramid Hotel Resort, Debre Ziet, Ethiopia, was attended by 15 experts drawn from COMESA/LLPI, Sudan, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The external participants were drawn from Universities and vocational training institutions, in line with LLPI’s Mission of promoting academic collaboration with the Industry.
The COMESA/LLPI Executive Director, Prof M. Mwinyihija opened the workshop by welcoming all participants and presenting the objectives of the workshop. He said, the Unpacking Process is Aimed at breaking implementation barriers, building responsibility accountability, efficiency and effectiveness in Strategy Implementation, commitment and M & E. The Course Outlines and Curricula Design will also help the Institute to further strengthen and refine its 2017 planned training programs at COMESA/LLPI headquarters (internal training) and at member States level (External training).
The workshop was successfully completed by identifying responsible units and departments of COMESA/LLPI for the implementation of its 118 different activities identified under 43 sub objectives and 7 main objectives of LLPI Strategy, as well as by developing course outlines and curricula to 29 short-term training programs and assigning course coordinators for each training program. This has set a solid base for a systematic implementation of the strategy, which will be backed by a special software package to enhance monitoring and evaluation activities. This process contributed to enhancing role clarity among the experts in LLPI and also to promote the bottom up approach, consequently contributing to improved productivity and innovation. The development of standard course outlines, will contribute immensely to improve capacity building within LLPI and across the region.
At the end of the workshop certificates were given to the participants; Mrs Ronnet Attakunda (one of the participants) delivered the vote of thanks. Prof. Mwinyihja before officially closing the workshop once again expressed his outmost appreciation for all the commitment and hard work of the participants and excellent results achieved at the end of the workshop. All participants to the workshop, appreciated the approach, which COMESA/LLPI was following in improving its systems and external capacity building programs.
