Improving Service provision to members. <p>Currently Lemlem FCU has 23 member primary cooperatives representing 21 951 (M=17 045-78%  F=4 906 22%) smallholder farmers in the Welkait wereda. The membership base of the union has increased by 340% (increase in member PCs) in the last 11 years. Nonetheless  the union's performance is not well aligned to increasing number of member cooperatives. The union never had a strategic plan and annual activities were not well aligned to strategic direction. In 2016  Lemlem Welkite FCU was supported by Agriterra to a new visioning and strategic planning process that would provide direction for fiscal years 2016/17-2020/21. On the basis of the strategic plan direction  the following action plan has been crafted.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Under organization  the union is weak in distributing goods to members based on their demands. A new demand- driven distribution system will be introduced. Due to less access for finance and weak equity finance its annual operations are impaired in scope. Thus  this action plan has made boosting internal equity as one core activity. The action plan also focuses to address the capacity issues at PC level. Based on the strategic plan direction  business expansion activities  such as honey production and processing will be instigated. depending on the global market for both natural gum and sesame  an effort will be put to engage the union in export markets. To address the output market finance  the union will also pilot CBM (commission based marketing) with few selected members.</p> <p>To Introduce new distribution system  increase Marketing output of sesame to 15 000 quintals  Increase equity by 0.5 million  and export 380 MT.</p> <p>- Using an assessment tool  11 Pcs have been assessed to identify their main gaps. After the assessment result  a reflection workshop has been organized to discuss the findings and propose solutions. Based on the proposed solutions the following intervention is developed. To deliver the intervention  3 capacity builders in different discipline will be recruited to spend most of their time coaching and capacitating the PCs.</p>
<p>-To expand its business unit and lessen the dependency on sesame which is highly volatile and beyond the realm of control. The union needs to examine & diversify into possible investment opportunities by developing strategic plan and feasibility studies. </p>