Core Values and Principles

In pursuit of its vision and mission, ICED:

The process of strengthening ICED’s capacity is guided by the following core values and principles:

• Assists and supports the improvement of the environment of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Sub Saharan Africa.
• Provides advisory services for the creation, development and promotion of entrepreneurship for contributing to the sustainable development process in the region.
• Assists enterprises to increase their efficiency in the international market, especially via the
  provision of relevant information and training in trade development and promotion, business
  partnerships and networks.
• Facilitates gender empowerment in the region.
• Organises capacity building and utilisation programmes and provides services that
  significantly contribute to improve the quality of life in the region.

OUR APPROACH AND THEMATIC AREAS

ICED relies on four fundamental transversal actions – participatory action research; management of
projects; provision of extension / advisory services; and capacity building – to positively influence

sustainable development policies and programmes in Ghana and SSA. ICED has vast experience in
applying the concepts of sustainability, innovation, productivity and efficiency to inform its
interventions in six carefully targeted thematic areas:

• Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Job Creation: ICED is committed to promoting and
  supporting these enterprises with a view to creating job and income earning opportunities,
  especially for young people and women in Ghana and other SSA countries.
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Food security through livelihood improvement
  programmes.
• Education: Improving teaching and learning in basic and secondary schools through the
  refurbishment of school blocks, the provision of teaching and learning materials, training of
  teachers, and provision of drinking water.
• Natural Resources, Environmental and Climate Change Management: Biodiversity
  conservation, promotion of domestic tourism, environmental education and livelihood
  improvement programmes.
• Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Services: Provision of quality drinking water and improved
  hygiene and sanitation services to deprived communities as well as basic and secondary
  schools.
• Deploying the Circular Economy Approach: Facilitate organisations in SSA to transit from the
  traditional “take-make-dispose” linear economy model to the circular economy approach that
  promotes resource efficiency and long-term sustainability.

ICED adopts pragmatic, holistic, value-based, sustainability and participatory approaches that
effectively elicit an active involvement of relevant development stakeholders (policy-makers,
researchers, students, teachers, youth groups, women groups, farmer based organisations, private
sector actors, etc.) in the conceptualisation and implementation of its activities and development
interventions.