Training manual for building business resilience through value chain innovation

About the workshop

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), under the “Building capabilities for green, climate-resilient and inclusive development in Nepal’s lower Koshi basin (HI-GRID) project, has developed a training manual titled “Building business resilience through value chain innovation”. This manual aims to strengthen the capacity of intermediary organisations to support value chain actors, especially those from disadvantaged communities in building resilient enterprises in the face of climate-induced water challenges, namely “too much and too little” (TMTL) water.

Enterprises in the lower Koshi river basin face increasing risk of water-related hazards (from floods to drought) amplified by climate change. This disrupts agricultural productivity and market access which is a major source of livelihood in the region. To add to that, local enterprises also lack technical and institutional capacity to sustain their businesses.

The validation workshop serves as a platform to ensure that the training manual is practical, contextually relevant, and responsive to local economic. It aims to enhance understanding of the manual’s content, gather experiential insights, and build ownership among key actors engaged in capacity-building, advisory services, and business development in the lower Koshi river basin before its final rollout.

This workshop is organised under the HI-GRID project, implemented as a part of the initiative in the Lower Koshi River Basin in Nepal, with support from the Government of Australia.

Objectives

1. To present and review the structure, content, and tools outlined in the training manual.
2. To validate the manual through structured feedback from stakeholders and potential users.
3. To ensure contextual alignment of the manual with the needs of value chain actors (mango, vegetables, Mithila art) in the HI-GRID project areas.
4. To strengthen understanding of GRID-based (Green, Resilient, Inclusive Development) approaches and their integration into value chain development.

Expected outcomes

1. Stakeholder validation and endorsement of the training manual’s structure and content.
2. Contextual insights and suggestions to be integrated into the final version of the manual.
3. Strengthened capacities of intermediary organisations in using the manual.
4. Strengthened capacities on understanding of building resilience in business and value chains.

Special attention will be given to ensuring the participation of women, people with disabilities, and marginalised groups.