This piece in yesterday’s issue of The Himlayan Times caught my attention and thought of sharing the link alongside my views and way forward to dwell on reasons and solution to address Nepal's declining export trade and in-effective Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) 2010 implementation. http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Export+of+products+listed+in+NTIS+drops+&NewsID=375815 The news’ statistics from Trade and Export Promotion Centre takes into account first nine months of current fiscal year where majority of NTIS listed products/services are on a downward trend. This news highlighting the peril is however not first but we seem to have been used to hearing and providing same boring excuses (fluid political climate, supply-side constraints) and plans (donors support, international assistance). As someone who had successfully led the NTIS implementation project at MoCS for 15 months with several accolades and achievements, my first recommendation then and now to efficiently drive NTIS implementation and boost export sums up to one - create awareness and generate stakeholder buy-ins. How? Please find attached a plan that I had prepared and presented to the senior MoCS officials and other line ministries, interestingly, 9 months back. Sadly the plan still hasn’t the seen the light of the day and all we are seeing is the declining export figures. Can we still afford to come across such negative news? Wish this ‘NTIS Awareness and Implementation Plan’ was long started. The first three quarters would have better figures, for sure. Thank you for reading. Let me have your opinion. dk digest (11052013)

1. BUSINESS
PLAN:
NTIS
2010
IMPLEMENTATION
EIF
Nepal,
NECTRADE
Project
Ministry
of
Commerce
and
Supplies
A
Conceptual
Business
Plan
for
the
Prepara;on
of
Audio-­‐
Visual
Programme
on
Export
Poten;al
Items
of
Nepal
and
Broadcas;ng
through
Various
Media
Channels
Prepared
and
Presented
by:
Dhiraj
Karki,
Project
&
Policy
Analyst
and
EIF
NPM
a.i.
11
June
2012

2. RaEonale
Project
InformaEon
ObjecEves
Methodology
AcEviEes
Expected
Outputs
Expected
Outcomes
Expected
Impacts
Timeline
Budget
BUSINESS
PLAN
Content

3. BUSINESS
PLAN
RaEonale
•
Abject
poverty
•
Social
deprivaEon
•
Economic
growth
issues
•
Fleeing
young
populaEon
•
Agriculture
commercializaEon
•
NTIS
2010,
GoN’s
blue
print
to
enhance
trade
Country
Specific
•
Tier
1
•
Tier
2
•
NTIS
2010
implementaEon
Project
Specific
1st
phase
of
Project
due
to
end
in
1
year
Eme
and
NTIS
implementaEon
Emeline
unEl
2015.
Hence,
the
need
and
urgency
for
this
Conceptual
Plan.

4. Background
•
Project
agreement
between
GoN
and
EIF
•
First
phase
(Tier
1)
–
April
1,
2010
–
April
30,
2013
•
Second
phase
(Tier
2)
–
AddiEonal
2
years
•
MoCS
ownership
•
UNOPS
as
TFM
ObjecEves
The
overall
goal
of
the
Project
is
to
ulEmately
ensure
faster
growth
of
the
country,
alleviaEon
of
poverty
through
creaEon
of
jobs
and
enhanced
sustainability
of
trade
development
efforts
reuslEng
to
greater
overall
benefit
to
Nepalese
populace
through
enhanced
global
integraEon,
trade
development
and
proper
posiEoning
of
the
country
BUSINESS
PLAN
Project
InformaEon

5. BUSINESS
PLAN
ObjecEves
To
proivide
informa;on
on
expor;ble
items,
as
iden;fied
by
NTIS
To
encourage
people,
mainly
private
sectors
and
young
populace
to
involve
in
the
produc;on
and
enhancement
of
exportable
products
and
services
To
educate
people,
especially
Nepali
farmers
on
how
to
produce
quaity
products
that
could
compete
in
the
interna;onal
market
To
provide
informa;on
on
the
cost
and
benefits
of
selected
export
poten;al
items
To
support
in
income
genera;on
and
enhanced
livelihood
To
provide
market
informa;on
to
the
traget
audience,
based
on
research,
consula;on
and
round-­‐table
discussion
among
all
stakeholders
The
overall
objecEve
is
to
raise
awareness
on
NTIS,
both
inside
and
outside
the
country,
thus
bringing
all
stakeholders
in
the
common
bandwagon
to
boost
Nepal’s
trade.

6. BUSINESS
PLAN
Methodology
BBC
“Sajha
Sawal”
NTIS
Special
Live
discussion
among
stakeholders
and
parEcipants
Framework
MeeEng
and
discussion
with
concerned
stakeholders,
both
local
and
internaEonal
Post-­‐produc;on
Dubbing,
ediEng
and
other
NTIS
awareness
raising
plan
Research
CollecEon
of
informaEon,
both
primary
and
secondary,
of
exporEble
items
as
idenEfied
by
NTIS
Linkages
Tier
1
objecEves
Tier
2
proposal
development
Braadcas;ng
InformaEon
and
acEviEes
dissemninaEon
through
various
media
vehicles
Documenta;on
Visit
different
places
in
Nepal
and
document
producEon
processes
and
value
chain

7. BUSINESS
PLAN
AcEviEes
1.
Prepare
Audio-­‐Visual
Documentaries:
•
Programe
framework
(outline,
script
and
acEon
plan)
finalizaEon
based
on
review
and
discussion
•
Research
•
SlecEon
of
products/services
and
site
•
ShooEng
•
Footage
selecEon
2.
Edi;ng
and
Post-­‐produc;on
works
•
Program
introducEon
•
EdiEng
•
Voice
over
•
NarraEon
•
Music
and
mixing
•
SubEEling
3.
Broadcas;ng
•
Nepali
television
channels
•
Radio
and
FMs
•
Newspapers
and
magazines
•
Also,
explore
internaEonal
broadcasEng
4.
Informa;on
Dissemina;on
•
AdverEsement
–
Hoarding
boards,
newspapers
and
magazines,
televesion
promo,
radio
jingles
etc
•
Other
ATL
and
BTL
acEviEes

8. Media
program
on
selected
export
items
are
prepared
Audio-­‐Visual
documentaries
related
to
export
poten;al
items
are
filmed,
dubbed
and
edited
Documentaries
and
results
are
broadcasted
through
various
media
vehicles
Talk
shows
and
interac;on
program
are
organized
and
disseminated
throughout
Nepal,
and
abroad
NTIS
2010
Media
Campaign
BUSINESS
PLAN
Expected
Outputs

9. BUSINESS
PLAN
Expected
Outcomes
Awareness
People
will
get
an
opprtunity
to
know
different
kinds
of
export
potenEal
items
and
their
details,
as
idenEfied
by
NTIS
2010
Ra;onale
Hence
these
beneficiaries
will
involve
themselves
in
the
producEon
and
enhancement
of
such
products/services,
which
will
address
country
specfic
raEonales
idenEfied
earlier
Business
Sense
It
will
be
helpful
to
farmers
to
know
what
to
produce,
why
to
produce,
how
to
produce,
what
will
be
the
value
of
those
goods
in
market
and
how
they
could
maximize
their
profit.
Tier
1
Ac;vi;es
and
Tier
2
Proposal
Development
This
conceptual
plan
will
also
help
adress
Tier
1
mandates
on
NTIS
awareness
and
Tier
2
proposal
development
based
on
collected
informaEon,
thus
ulEmately
fulfilling
the
Project’s
and
GoN’s
objecEve
of
successful
NTIS
implementaEon,
within
the
given
Emeframe
Ini;a;on
This
will
help
to
iniEaite
the
producEon
and
enhancement
of
different
kind
of
export
potenEal
items
among
farmers
and
other
beneficiaries

10. Enhanced
Capaci;es
for
Trade
and
Development
Young
popula;on
will
be
inclined
towards
commercial
agriculture
Boost
private
sector
confidence
to
fulfuill
the
demand-­‐supply
gap
Help
donors
channel
AfT
and
TRTA
in
an
efec;ve
and
coherence
manner
Support
GoN
to
address
the
trade
defeicit
BUSINESS
PLAN
Expected
Impacts

11. 2012
Q3
Q4
2013
Q1
&
Q2
Q3
Q4
Prepare
Audio-­‐Visual
Documentaries
Plan
and
Framework
Finaliza;on
Broadcas;ng
Monitoring
and
Evalua;on
Research
Edi;ng
and
Post-­‐
prodcu;on
Works
Informa;on
Dissemina;on
BUSINESS
PLAN
Time
Line

12. AcEviEes
Budget
EsEmate
(In
NRs,
for
1
Episode)
Plan
and
Framework
FinalizaEon
Depends
upon
locaEon
Research
As
above
Site
visits
As
above
Script
wriEng
10,000.00
DirecEon
25,000.00
ShooEng
35,000.00
EdiEng
and
Post-­‐producEon
Work
30,000.00
Staff,
LighEng,
Video
Tape,
Equipment
50,000.00
BroadcasEng
25,000.00
to
60,000.00
BUSINESS
PLAN
Budget
Note:
For
talk
shows
addi1onal
budget
will
be
required

13. THANK
YOU
©
Copyright
of
Dhiraj
Karki