BACKGROUND
The main challenge posed by the creation of the Productive articulation programme for the strengthening and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region to the Permanent Secretariat of SELA is the development of a new methodology that may contribute to the way of determining productive sectors according to the characteristics of each economy or region, so as to consolidate the results issued by the various tools used for this purpose.
To that end, the organization has planned a series of activities ancillary to the methodologies that some countries are already using for the definition of value chains, which focus on the accompaniment and training of those institutions that promote the public policy making for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This project, which has received the technical and financial support of CAF-development bank of Latin America, represents an effort to identify the resources of a country, through which the export capacity of enterprises may be boosted, and to promote the development of higher levels of productivity for the sustainable growth of the region.
In order to meet these objectives, work began from the global perspective of productive transformation theories and creation of strategic alliances (Seminar on productive integration and strategic alliances); then, it focused on the assessment and monitoring of trade and the degree of interdependence of national and regional markets (Regional Seminar on productive articulation for the strengthening and development of SMEs in the region); and, finally, it delved into the most productive sectors according to the revealed capacities of each economy, which will eventually lead to greater regional productive articulation (First Workshop on productive articulation for the strengthening and development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region).
As a follow-up to these activities, this Seminar-Workshop has been divided into two main modules. First, a Seminar has been organized for the first day of the event with the participation of experts in productivity, who will present the different strategies and existing proposals for strengthening regional productive articulation.
The second module includes a training workshop aimed exclusively at the national coordinators of each country participating in the Programme. Participants will reinforce the knowledge acquired during the first workshop concerning the proper management of the statistical information required to perform the estimates, as well as the arrangement of data using the statistical software with which they were trained during the first workshop. In addition, guidance will be issued on the programme used in the creation of models for the identification of national productive niches.
In this connection, invitations are being extended to the group of countries that have expressed their interest in continuing to participate actively in the project and were already trained in the first workshop held in Paraguay in March.
This Seminar-Workshop concludes the first stage of the project, which will be reinforced through particular attention to each country that requires it; then, a microeconomic study of each sector determined at the first stage will be started; and, finally, a deep analysis of every link of the value chain will be made through the establishment of the sectoral structure of the economy as a whole.
This group is expected to develop the methodology proposed in their countries of origin and present the results at a next meeting. This important training activity will enable the development of more robust diagnostics that favour the productive articulation of the SME sector in the region.
