Bamwenda Benard is a senior Cooperative Specialist with over 15 years hands-on experience. Benard holds M.Sc (Agricultural Development) PGD (Cooperative Organization, Rural Development, and Food Marketing), B.Sc. Agriculture (Economics Option), He has a strong professional background in Agriculture, Agri-Business Enterprise Management and Cooperative Development Services covering key approaches such as Coordinating and supervising implementation of agricultural extension initiatives and activities, marketing & value addition activities, such as warehouse receipting, market linkages & information dissemination and specified projects, planning, organising and conducting agricultural extension, marketing & value addition support through training and other capacity building initiatives for cooperatives.

He has facilitated and provided technical and consultancy support services to all facets of cooperatives in Uganda and Tanzania, producer organizations, enterprises, Government departments, and Donor Organizations and business associations. Benard also provides BDS support services to the VECO EA partnership on agribusinesses.

Over the years, Benard has developed excellence in areas including:

• Management of Co-operative capacity building projects
• Co-operatives and other Small, Medium Enterprises business operations
• Appraisal and evaluation of programs
• Offering technical assistance to Agri-Business development services
• Developing, designing and implementing BDS services.
• Strategic business planning, both at departmental and overall institutional levels;
• Strategic planning for institutions and projects
• Cooperative restructuring, and rescue operations.
• Training, coaching and development of staff for more challenging roles