MIOA CARIBBEAN COUNTRY ASSESSMENT

1. MIOACARIBBEAN COUNTRY ASSESSMENT John Van Dyke International Market Information Development

2. Caribbean Countries • Wide Range of Programs • Management • Trade Within Caribbean Region and U.S. • Deficient Training • Policies and Procedures • Underdeveloped IT Programs

3. Caribbean Profile • Wide Range of Programs • Management and Supervision • Data Collection Deficiencies • Reporter Training • Policies and Procedures • Standards and/or Terminology • Dissemination • Information Technology

4. Guyana • Management • Guyana Marketing Corporation • General Manager • Program Manager • Supervision • Program Manager • Data Collection • Regional Offices • Review Conducted on a Regular Basis • Grades and Standards • Data Management • Excel Spreadsheets & D-base IV • Historical Data • Dissemination • Limited Dissemination • Lack of Widespread Knowledge of Program

5. Guyana • Recommendations: • Review supervisory structure to provide more direct supervision to reporters. • Establish and conduct a formal reporter training program. • Develop a reporter handbook establishing clearly defined policies and procedures. • Collect market information based on product quality standards or terminology. • Establish backup system for IT programs. • Improve and update website and publish current price information on a scheduled basis. • Obtain feedback and explain the MIS program to producers and other industry members.

6. Trinidad &Tobago • Management • Strong Support and Understanding • Supervision • Well Developed and Defined • Data Collection • Excellent Procedures and Policies • Data Management • In-house Developed IT system • Dissemination • Broad Based • User Friendly Web Site • Wide Distribution

8. Trinidad and Tobago • Recommendations: • Establish a reporter assessment and refresher course including standards review to maintain reporter expertise. • Maintain and enhance the expertise of the IT section.

9. Grenada • Program Approval In Planning Commission • Management • Basic Concepts • Development Plan and Knowledge • Industry Stakeholders • Industry Stakeholders • Supportive • Own Agenda

10. Grenada • Recommendations: • Establish market information program in Ministry of Agriculture • Identify markets and/or marketing points to report

12. St. Lucia • Program in Development Stage • Established Program Manager • Strong Industry Support • Data Collection • Review Data Currently Submitted • Market Participants

13. St. Lucia • Recommendations: • Focus on program development. • Include Stakeholders in planning and development stage.

14. Belize • Management • Ministry of Agriculture • Beltraide • Supervision • Extension Service • Data Collection • Student Reporters • Data Management and Dissemination • Beltraide

15. Belize • Recommendations: • Establish Program In Ministry of Agriculture  • Address Student data collection and Extension Service Employees to collect data. • Develop reporter training program to include quality identification and designation • Develop reporter handbook on policies and procedures to collect, analyze, and aggregate data

16. Jamaica • Management • Divided between Agencies • Rural Agriculture Development Authority • MOA Data Bank • Strong, Dedicated, Knowledgeable • Supervision • Not Clearly Defined • Data Collection • Too Large and Wide Spread to Manage • Data Management • ABIS • MOADB • Trinidad and Tobago • Dissemination • All Methods Under Consideration

17. Jamaica • Recommendations: • Clearly define the management structure for the program so all staff members and reporters are fully aware of the duties and responsibilities. • Establish data base to manage data collection, aggregation, and dissemination in MOADB. Recommendations by NAMDEVCO should be considered including their assistance. • Establish reporter training and testing program. • Develop reporter handbook on policies and procedures

18. Haiti • Program in Development Stage • Funding • NGOs • Program Manager Knowledge • Data Collection • Many Agencies Involved • Ministry of Trade • Statistics

19. Haiti • Recommendations: • Establish MIS in MOA at Sustainable Level • Concentrate on farmgate price reporting • Establish a reporter training program • Develop a reporter’s handbook establishing reporting policies and procedures

20. Strengths and Weakness • Guyana • Strength: • Management commitment to program • Management understands the requirements for the program, but lacks the time to stay fully engaged in the program • Weakness: • Data collection procedures • Reporter training • Standards, grades, or uniform terminology • Data Management • Dissemination

21. Strengths and Weakness • Trinidad and Tobago • Strength: • Management and supervisory structure • Reporter training • Collection procedures • Uniform standards and terminology • Data management • Dissemination • Weakness: • None Identified

22. Strengths and Weakness • Grenada • Strength: • Commitment to establish program and support from Ministry • Support from industry stakeholders for program • Weakness: • Planning Commission approval time period • Lack of detailed program development plan • Industry stakeholders could have their own agenda on MIS development

23. Strengths and Weakness • St. Lucia • Strength: • Commitment and support by management and the Ministry • Industry stakeholder request and support for MIS program • Weakness: • Lack of fully development program structure • Development time frame

24. Strengths and Weakness • Belize • Strength: • Dedication and support by Beltraide • Weakness: • Organizational Structure • Reporter expertise • Reporter training program • Sustainability in present design

25. Strengths and Weakness • Jamaica • Strength: • MOA support • Management, but needs structure • Diversity of reporting points • Data collection plans • Weakness: • Reporter training • Data management • Reporter training

26. Strengths and Weakness • Haiti • Strength: • MOA support for program • Program manager has good concepts on how the program should be organized and managed • Weakness: • Program structure • Sustainability • Reporter training program