01 Jul
3rStrategyENG, 3rStrategyENG, 3rStrategyENG, 3rStrategyENG, 3rStrategyENG

Women’s Economic Empowerment n in Gegharkunik and Shirak Marzes

Client: Green Lane NGO, within Regional UN Women project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus (WEESC)” with funding from the Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA)

Women’s Economic Empowerment  in Gegharkunik and Shirak Marzes project was implemented by UNDP Armenia in partnership with “Green Lane” NGO and “3R Strategy” LLC (2019-2021). “3R Strategy” LLC was responsible for implementation of business consulting and training throughout the project. The objective of the project was to empower rural women, especially from socially disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, by encouraging among them cooperation and social mobilization, the use of skills, economic opportunities and relevant information to become self-employed/employed and to be involved in community decision-making. The economic orientation of the project required the provision of multi-level business consulting, which was carried out both through courses as well as individual and group consultations, having a regular nature.

In the framework of the project, the following were organized:

·         Life skills development courses covering resume writing, effective communication, conflict management, computer literacy and other topics. More than 150 women participated in these courses. The training contributed to the development of women’s ability to respond more flexibly and quickly to job announcements, to find new jobs and/or better-quality work.

·         Business skills development courses covering business management, production planning, marketing, branding, social media marketing, financial analysis and other topics. More than 140 women participated in the business planning courses, most of whom reported an increase in income by the end of the project. The women beneficiaries of the project were provided with business advice throughout the project on positioning in consumer markets, creating a value proposition, branding and packaging, pricing policy, financial analysis and other topics.

23 May
Uncategorized

Assessment of Vegetation and Environmental Changes in Pastures across 63 Communities in Armenia

Client: Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Projects Implementing Unit (APIU), conducted under the Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC) Project, financed by the International Development Association of the World Bank and the Global Ecological Fund (GEF)

The primary objective of this assignment was to assess changes in vegetation indicators across 63 rural communities in six regions of Armenia (Lori, Aragatsotn, Tavush, Syunik, Gegharkunik, and Shirak) resulting from pasture management and improvement interventions under the CARMAC program. The study aimed at determining whether these interventions led to improved vegetation cover, increased productivity, and enhanced carbon sequestration in pastures across the targeted communities.

The assignment involved a comprehensive assessment of pastures in the selected communities under the CARMAC project. The scope included a detailed evaluation of vegetation cover (%) and productivity (dry mass yield in kg/ha) through field measurements and calculations. It also included carbon sequestration analysis, involving measurement and calculation of carbon sequestration rates (grams of carbon/ha/year) in pasture biomass.

Soil and plant cover samples were collected from 12 representative communities to analyze total biomass carbon content using laboratory-experimental methods.  Additionally, the total carbon storage in pasturelands, including aboveground vegetation, dry mass, and root-soil layers, was estimated in gC/m² and kgC/ha. To evaluate the ecological impact of the interventions, baseline data comparisons were conducted. The analysis assessed the effectiveness of pasture restoration and improvement activities, providing insights into the environmental benefits achieved through the CARMAC project.

25 Sep
Uncategorized

ln-depth market study and value chain analysis of buckwheat honey

Client: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), funding from the European Union, The European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD)

Within the assignment, in depth market study of Buckwheat Honey Market Study in Armenia was conducted and report developed including overview of honey value chain (types of honey, sales, seasonal price fluctuations, technology used, food safety standards applied, marketing constraints, average production costs and net margins, major limitations with regard to procurement, technology and marketing etc.); market study on honey and related products in Armenia including the information on types of honey and related products, sales channels, sales volumes, origin of honey and related products, wholesale and retail prices, consumer preferences, estimation of sales potential etc.; overview of export market study, including identification and overview of the most promising export markets (Georgia, Russia, the Middle East) for honey and related products from Armenia, main constrains of honey exports from Armenia to the target countries and the basic requirements for honey imports to those countries.

A total of 405 face-to-face interviews were conducted with consumers, along with 6 focus groups discussions and 63 interviews with market actors, including honey producers, representatives from the HORECA sector, bakeries, and retail chain representatives.

24 Sep
Uncategorized

In-depth market study and value chain analysis of high value cheese

Client: United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), funding from the European Union, The European Neighborhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD)

Within the assignment, in depth market study of HV cheese in Armenia was conducted and report developed including overview of Armenian high value cheese production and marketing (high value cheese types and characteristics, sales volumes, sales channels, seasonal price fluctuations, market size estimation etc.); an overview of Armenian dairies producing high value cheeses, including varieties, capacities, technology used, food safety standards, markets, local market share, average production costs and net margins, and major limitations in terms of milk quality, technology, and other factors; main constrains of cheese export from Armenia to Georgia and Russia, the basic requirements for cheese export to the mentioned countries, and possibilities for export.

A total of 401 face-to-face interviews were conducted with consumers, along with 120 interviews with market actors, including cheese producers, representatives from the HORECA sector, and retail chain representatives.

 

01 Nov
Uncategorized

Fund for Rural Economic Development of Armenia (FREDA) and its Projects’ monitoring and Evaluation

Client: Fund for Rural Economic Development of Armenia (FREDA)

The objective of the assignment was to provide FREDA with insights into the social effectiveness and sustainability of its activities, enhancing its ability to improve operations and measure performance in supporting its target groups. The assignment focused on monitoring and evaluating FREDA and its projects, consisting of two main components:

–              Assessment of Social Effectiveness – This involved evaluating the impact of FREDA’s investments by calculating the Value Chain Multiplier Index (VCMI) for total activities and for each investee company individually.

–              Evaluation of FREDA’s Overall Activities – A comprehensive review of FREDA’s operations to assess its efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.

The impact assessment involved collecting and analyzing both primary and secondary data to address key areas, including:

–              Additional income generation at the household and market levels, compared to the baseline year, for each investee company separately and across all of FREDA’s investments.

–              Projected income growth for households and stakeholders at various levels, assessed against a “normal growth” scenario, to determine the added value generated by FREDA’s investments.

–              Evaluation of FREDA’s activities in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.

–              Assessment of Technical Assistance provided by FREDA.

–              Lessons learned and recommendations, derived from the evaluation and impact assessment, to inform FREDA’s future strategies and improvements.

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