September 17-18 2018, the APRC’s Rati Kochlamazashvili and Pati Mamardashvili conducted a training exercise for Civil Society Organizations (CSO) running Social Enterprises (SE) in value chain analysis and development.

In the recent years, SE development in Georgia has been supported by various organizations, including the Europe Foundation (EPF). The biggest challenge of currently-operating SEs in Georgia is a lack of entrepreneurial thinking and related activities. This seriously hinders their development; most SEs continue to depend on external funding and are far from achieving long-term sustainability.

In the framework of the capacity-building program for SEs, the EPF contracted APRC researchers to conduct a two-day training program in value chain analysis. A total of 25 representatives of SEs operating in different sectors (agriculture, manufacturing, services) in Georgia attended the training, which was held at the Holiday Inn hotel in Tbilisi.

In combination with theoretical and practical examples from different value chains in Georgia, the participants learned how to use different instruments of value chain analysis, identify constraints and opportunities in the chains, and provide viable solutions for improving the efficiency of chain actors as well as building sustainable links between them.

Practical exercises and sector specific studies provided to participants during these training sessions are applicable for all sectors and industries and contributed to participants’ improved skills in recognizing market opportunities, capitalizing on these opportunities, and thus ensuring the sustainable development of their enterprises.