Before training the association’s members on business incubation, cooperative development and value addition, a mob up baseline exercise was carried out to know the current gaps among the association’s member groups. The following information were collected from each association’s member group; total membership, their leadership structure, the type of crops the groups cultivate, the crops cultivate by the majority of the group’s members, whether the group add value to their farm produce, number of farm produce value is added to, whether groups’ farming exist, whether the groups has cooperative certificates, whether the cooperative certificates have expired, whether the groups have business plans already, who are the actors to their business or to their value adding process, availability of processing equipment, whether the groups have partner or partners, the groups’ challenges, whether the groups get access to finance or loan service and the groups’ market linkages. The mob up baseline exercise gives the accurate information and position of each member group before training them. This was conducted in ten active communities reaching about 25 VSLA groups. The other objective of this baseline was to provide for tailor made business incubation plans development.

After the mob up baseline data was taken, the association Business Development Team (BDT) members were given two days training on the development of Business Plan. The team was asked to clearly know and understand their vision, missions and consider the most produced crops by members and availability of value adding equipment or machines in the community when choosing a particular business. The trainer put much emphasis on the quality of products to be produced, taking account of all the expenses right from clearing of farm land to the stage where the products become consumable. Finally, the trainees were given template documents that will serve as guide in developing the various member groups’ business plans.  This was very participatory and practical involving each member of the groups freely expressing themselves in their local language.