Appendix 5 Producer Committees – A G E N D A –2016 This is an internal document and should not be shared directly with the producers. You should use it to guide the meeting but you may wish to alert the attendant producers to the main discussion topics (highlighted in bold below) prior to the meeting day itself.
Time 2- 5.00pm TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION Introduction 1 5 min
What is the biggest challenge facing each of you currently? 20 min
Environmental Issues 20 min
Other Social Lenders and Financial Institutions 20 min
BREAK ( 3.45-4.00pm)
DETAIL Please introduce yourself (other members of the lending team can introduce themselves). Briefly explain the purpose of this committee and some background history (it is carried out annually, this is the 6th committee). Later please ask the participants to introduce themselves (name, name of the organization, commodity and any interesting, brief, fact they would like to share with other participants. (This question should help to show us how we can better meet our customer needs. Also it is very generic question that should be easy for them to respond initially). What are the critical factors of success in your industries? (This is to understand what the coffee, cocoa, banana, handcrafts, etc. sectors are facing). Without considering the environmental issues, what specific challenges your organizations face at the moment or will face in a near future? What are your concerns in relation to the environment? Do you have specific examples of issues you would like to share? (El Niño. El Niño is a weather phenomenon that causes increases in the Pacific Ocean currents, which leads to climate disturbances such as extremely heavy rains, floods, draughts or frosts depending on the specific area). What are the expected consequences of El Niño phenomenon in your area of influence? In which ways the individual farmers/artisans could be affected by El Niño? In which ways your organization will be affected? What are the possible measures to mitigate the risks of El Niño? What can your organizations do to manage this contingency? (In case it has not been mentioned…) Have you considered taking a general risk insurance to mitigate this risk? Is it affordable for your organizations? Do you have any idea of the annual premium/costs? About social lenders: How do you see the work of other social lenders? How do we compare? Why would you prefer SI instead of other social lenders? Why might you prefer other lenders? About other financial institutions (banks, credit and savings cooperatives, others) What are other financial institutions doing that SI could replicate in favour of producer groups? 15 minutes coffee break.
Appendix 5 Working with Shared Interest 15 min How to manage SI facility 30 min New lending products? 15 min How to apply for another SI facility 15 min Format of these meetings 15 min AOB
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What is the main benefit of working with Shared Interest? What are the pros of working with SI? What are the cons of working with SI? How could we improve the service we offer currently? KM to provide explanation of how COEC/EC and TL’s work- 30 min
(First make a brief explanation about the current products SI has. Producers should know, however it will help anyway). What lending products do you require but are not currently available?
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Does the format work? How else might we facilitate these meetings? Should we conduct these meetings at the same time as one of the large regional conferences e.g. SCAA in the USA? Any other suggestions? Ask the participants if there is anything else they wish to contribute. Keep this section brief.
15 min Impact of Brexit? Questions to input into the Shared Interest Foundation Strategic Review
What do your consider to be the key needs of your organisation relating to improving financial management? Which of these do you feel your organisation would you benefit from training on? What form would it be best for this training to take? What would be the key benefits of having access to such training? Do you have access to similar training from elsewhere? – If so, what is good or bad about these options? And what are the cost implications of these options? Have you had experience of Financial Management training from Shared Interest (Foundation) – if so, how did it impact your organisation? Have you had experience of Financial Management training delivered by someone other than Shared Interest (Foundation) – if do, how did it impact your organisation?
Recommendations: Do feel free to answer the questions to which you know the answers. Try not to lead the producers in their responses.