Breakout 1G: Better prioritising support for high potential sectors/industries

This session will explore the balance between sectors offering immediate benefits and those with long-term transformative potential. It will address whether programmes should focus on cross-cutting or vertical sectors and discuss the decision-making process for selecting areas of focus.

Key themes include defining programme objectives broadly enough to accommodate high-risk, high-reward sector choices, and taking a more entrepreneurial approach to identifying high potential sectors - looking for dynamic businesses entering new products or value chains, getting involved more quickly to test receptivity and scope for growth, while checking more standard econometric methods as a means of validating choices. The session will compare a portfolio vs. program approach, emphasising the need to manage a diverse portfolio of sectors rather than concentrating on a single one.

The session will be led by Peggy Mativo, Gatsy Africa, with contributions from Pascal Fabing, LuxDev, and John Rachkara, Mercy Corps.

Photo Credits: Alin Andersen