ISP Short Course: Agribusiness value chain leadership for research managers

The ISP Short Course supports DOST-PCAARRD’s Industry Strategic S&T Program (ISP) managers and technical staff in building their capacity to engage, influence and collaborate with agribusinesses in developing inclusive and sustainable agribusiness value chains.

Agricultural research managers are in a position to shift the trajectories of Philippine agricultural industries through effective engagement and facilitating on-the-ground impact. This course aims to specifically support ISP managers in this role, by embedding value chain thinking and enhancing leadership skills with additional tools to those they already have.

Learning outcomes

At the completion of the short course, ISP participants are expected to be able to:

Identify and define real-world issues, opportunities and constraints to agribusiness development in agri-food value chains in the Philippines;
Map value chains and identify appropriate investigative techniques to specific value chain challenges;
Evaluate partnership needs and develop appropriate approaches to broker effective collaborations;
Build on current leadership skills through enhanced foresighting and adaptive management techniques;
Effectively communicate results and findings.

Throughout the course, participants are provided with challenges and activities to test new tools and principles, particularly in leadership. It is designed as a hands-on, practical and intensive course. The course is conducted over four days, with one day allocated for a field visit as well as evening activities.This visit is designed to expose participants to a ‘walking the chain’ exercise, where rapid value chain appraisal skills can be tested.

Held on September 24-27, 2019 at the Estancia Resort Hotel in Tagaytay City, the capacity building event was conducted a collaboration with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

The resource persons for the ISP short course are: Dr. Lilly Lim-Camacho and Ms. Michaela Cosjin of CSIRO; Dr. Rodd Dyer of FocusGroupGo; and Mr. Anton Simon of Foodlink Advocacy Co-operative. In addition, we were joined by Dr. Dindo Campilan of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Ms. Maricel ‘Patch’ Quilao of Honda Cars Philippines, and Mr. Leopold Joseph Janer of the Professional Insurance and Financial Advisors Association of the Philippines (PIFAAP) who shared their personal experiences on leadership, influence, and impact on a panel talk during the training.

Engaging in actual value chains, the participants were grouped and assigned different industries to visit and implement a rapid value chain appraisal.

The industries and respective chain assignments given to the participants were the following:

1. ANSA Genetics, Inc. in Batangas and Rancho Consuelo in Laguna for beef cattle chain;
2. Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative (SIDC), Batangas for corn chain; and
3. Ahon Sa Hirap, Inc. (ASHI), Laguna for spring onion chain.

Participants were able to present their outputs and share their reflections during the last day of the training.

The full program for the short course can be viewed here.

You can access material from the course through the links below.

Full ISP training pack
Leadership for research managers (Rodd Dyer)