The document summarizes lessons learned from an experience sharing activity on technical assistance providers (TAPs) in Peru. Key points include: strengthening partnerships to guarantee quality and access to new technologies; ensuring community TAP models offer long-term guarantees; adding leadership training to TAP curricula; and maintaining TAP independence from political cycles and private sector influence while exploring business opportunities. Success rates for TAP enterprises were noted to be lower than for community TAPs. The role of TAPs in promoting gender equality was also highlighted.

1. Experience sharing activity on
Technical Assistance Providers
in Peru
Presentation August 24th 2012
webinar
Gianluca Nardi – CARE International UK

2. Experience sharing activity
February 6th to 10th 2012, in Lima and Ancash - Peru
Overall objective: sharing knowledge and best practice on
market engagement in CARE International and with the
main partners; strengthening the community of practice
Specific objective: sharing experiences and discussing
innovative methodologies in relation to business development
service providers, with a special focus on CARE Peru’s TAP
methodology and its possible relevance for the Brazilian context
Participants: representatives from CARE Peru, CARE Bolivia,
CARE Brasil, Departmental development Committee of
Chuquisaca (Bolivia) and Bahia State Government (Brasil)

3. Some learned lessons
In order for the model’s capacity to continue to guarantee quality and
access to new technologies :
•Partnerships with academic institutions, the private
sector (example of Valverde in Cajamarca) or public
entities responsible for disseminating technologies (e.g.
SENASA in Ancash)
•The experience of Practical Action with the Kamayoqs
and the certification system seem to be very relevant in
this sense.

4. Some learned lessons
In relation to the fairness of the model:
• Community TAPs model, seems to offer more long-term
guarantees, since its creation follows a “bottom up” approach.
• It is important to avoid monopolistic structures in the provision
of products and services, even if this is through TAPs, and to
guarantee an appropriate level of diversification in the offer
• Adding leadership training elements to the curriculum for
TAPs. In addition to the technical aspects of their business, the
producers need to understand the functioning of the value
chain, the market and the fairness or lack thereof of the market
system
• Studying models to link the TAPs with producers’ associations
or cooperatives.

5. Some learned lessons
As regards the economic sustainability of the model:
• Avoid involving financial institutions in the provision of
TA services, as there were conflicts of interest in the
Bolivia experience.
• It is necessary to identify more defined and specific
products and services to be charged for, and which
present an immediate benefit for the producers.
• Technical Assistance can constitute a post-sale
benefit. This is simpler in livestock value chains,
however, the Cajamarca experience shows that this is
possible for agricultural chains.

6. Some learned lessons
The role of the Governments
• It is important to ensure the utmost respect for the role
that the government has historically played in the local
context.
• The government can become a fundamental ally in scaling
up models as it happened in Peru.
•The partnerships with local government are inevitably
subject to electoral and political cycles.

7. Some learned lessons
The role of the Governments
•The TAPs need to maintain a positive attitude
towards the private sector and the business
opportunities that this offers.
• It is important to maintain independence and
impartiality and to avoid being perceived as
“representatives” of specific companies.

8. Some learned lessons
About the success of the TAPs’ training and start-up of TAP
businesses
• It is imperative to take the success rate into
account in the design of projects during the training
or start-up process
• in the case of TAP enterprises can be low (30%)
and higher in the case of community TAPs (between
70 and 80%).

9. Some learned lessons
About Women Empowerment
• Take advantage of the role of TAPs as promoters
of gender equality
• Take into account that the training of female TAPs
is more culturally acceptable in agricultural value
chains than in livestock value chains, anyway it is
possible in both cases