Project News

The Local Working Groups (LWGs) for the cacao processing and rattan furniture industries held a terminal evaluation meeting in November 2015 with the target producers and stakeholders in order to review the achievement of their Local Industry Action Plans (LIAPs).

LWG for the cacao processing industry and target producers set a target of increasing the sales of the producers in 2015 by 50% compared with Rp. 300 million for 2014. The sales record from January to September 2015 shows the total sales have already amounted to Rp. 300 million. LWG had succeeded in encouraging additional 6 entrepreneurs to start chocolate business, and has been continuously engaged in a necessary effort to reach the targeted number of seven new entrants. Transactions with the local modern segment have been already reported to be 28 cases. In August 2015, Provincial Dinas Industry and Trade decided to legalize the cacao processing factory as a provincial business unit (UPTD). This makes the factory more functional and active in production/promotional activities in a commercial-oriented manner. UPTD will also provide an office for the target association in the same building in order to further strengthen communication with the association.

LWG for the rattan furniture industry have facilitated various support activities proposed in LIAP in cooperation with the support institutions concerned. Manufacturing process audit based on standard operation procedure (SOP) prepared by LWG has been followed on manufacturing sites by LWG members and shindan-shi. Those rattan chairs and tables manufactured by five producers in accordance with SOP were already displayed and promoted at an international event and exhibitions. Dinas of Palu City decided to further extend this manufacturing process audit in the next year. The evaluation meeting revealed a change in sales brought by the facilitation support of LIAP. Compared with the year of 2013 which commenced the facilitation, five producers recognized ‘increase' but the remaining five responded ‘no change' or ‘slight decrease' (according to a survey of the 10 target producers which had been involved in the entire period of facilitation). Since the majority of the producers are unaccustomed to recording purchase orders as well as sales, LWG and even the target producers themselves in fact have difficulty in assessing measurable changes. In light of such lessons and evaluation results, LWG discussed to enhance monitoring activities through delivering bookkeeping training and periodic hands-on monitoring to the producers in the next year.

Both LWGs in conclusion decided to continue the facilitation activities for the two industries in the subsequent years with the existing facilitation setup (platform).

LWG meeting for the terminal evaluation