1. Operational Plan for GSA Strategic Initiatives (2012-2014)
Produced by the GSA Secretariat and approved by the Executive Committee
12 - October - 2012

2. Introduction
Established in 2011, the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) has 160 members including
shea butter suppliers, women’s groups, international brands and retailers, development
partners, and non-profit organizations.
The GSA Executive Committee recently completed a strategic planning process and
established our mission “to design, develop, and deliver strategies that drive a competitive and
sustainable shea industry worldwide, improving the livelihoods of rural African women and
their communities.” The Committee also identified sustainability impact, market expansion,
value chain competitiveness, and policy advocacy as the GSA’s primary objectives.
To achieve this vision, the GSA seeks to define itself as a membership organization
that offers specific roles and incentives for shea stakeholders around the world. It is through
collaboration and promotion of shared values that we will accomplish our mission and
objectives. In our plan, we also outline a variety of critical technical services to support our
membership’s activities.
Finally, the GSA recognizes the enhanced presence of international brands and
retailers within the organization is critical to promote shea butter as a premiere food and
cosmetic product that is being sourced sustainably from the sixteen million rural African
women who collect and sell shea nuts.
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3. GSA Operational Plan Overview
Goal
Implement four key initiatives to achieve maximum impact related to GSA strategic objectives
of market expansion, competitiveness, policy advocacy, and sustainability impact.
Development Criteria
Meets private sector needs/interest Integrates with member operations
Impacts multiple strategic objectives Specific activities and timeframes
Scalability Measurable results
Initiatives
 Sustainability promotion – Define GSA as a membership organization that drives
sustainability and creates market expansion.
 Standards and pricing – GSA members define quality standards, publish price
information, and enforce standards through membership.
 Industry promotion – Develop marketing and communication strategy to impact all GSA
strategic objectives.
 National association support – Develop and support national associations to impact
competitiveness and policy advocacy in shea producing countries.
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4. Sustainability Promotion
2012 Define  Activity: Create working document outlining sustainability needs of the industry
Sustainability  Goals: Achieve consensus with members, international brands, and other
Platform stakeholders on sustainability objectives
 Activity: Establish GSA membership levels and criteria, a base code,
ACTIVITIES TIMELINE
Define GSA
Membership implementation principles, and objectives to measure progress vs. principles
Criteria  Goals: Clearly define the GSA brand and value addition for members
2013  Activity: Establish bi-laws, organizational licensing and registration,
Secure and
Define the trademarks, etc.
GSA Brand  Goals: Address legal challenges in preparation for seal rollout
 Activity: Develop various marketing seals and application criteria/procedures
Seal  Goals: Seals meet the marketing needs of GSA members
Development
2014  Activity: Participate in international trade shows and other events to market GSA
Seal membership and marketing seals
Marketing  Goals: Expand GSA membership and utilization of seals
IMPACT
 Industry Impact: By 2014, the shea industry will improve revenues for women’s groups registered
under GSA sustainable practices by 10%, protect 60,000 hectares of Savannah, and protect 9,000
employees.
 Strategic Objectives Met: Market Expansion, Sustainability Impact
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5. Sustainability Promotion
Performance Indicators Results Indicators
2013 2014 2013 2014
• 100 members join • 300 members join • 5% increase in • 10% increase in
under sustainability under sustainability revenue for revenue for
criteria criteria registered women’s registered women’s
• 25 social and • 50 social and groups groups
environmental environmental • 20,000 hectares • 60,000 hectares
initiatives complete initiatives complete protected protected
• 10 international • 25 international • 3,000 employees • 9,000 employees
brands engaged brands engaged protected protected
Key Partnerships and Collaboration Funding Strategy
• Women’s • Shea nut buyers and 2013 2014
associations processors
Dues $5,000 Dues $15,000
• Civil society • International brands
Assistance $150,000 Seal Income $100,000
organizations and retailers
Total $155,000 Assistance $140,000
• Development • Certification firms
partners Total $265,000
• Membership
• Non-profit organizations
organizations • Marketing and
publicity firms
• Legal firm -5-

6. Quality Standards and Pricing
2012  Activity: Develop shea nut quality standards based on 2006 Pro Karite project
Industry  Goals: Standards are simplified and able to be utilized by GSA membership during
Standards daily business transactions
ACTIVITIES TIMELINE
2013  Activity: Develop procedures to enforce standards and incorporate into GSA
and Standards membership criteria
2014 Procedures  Goals: GSA membership enforces standards
 Activity: GSA develops system of collecting price information related to quality
Publish standards and publishes data on website for members
Price Data  Goals: Provide tool for GSA members to utilize quality standards in the marketplace
Education  Activity: Engage national associations and NGO community to disseminate
and information on quality standards
Marketing  Goals: Promote GSA membership and utilization of quality standards
IMPACT
 Industry Impact: By 2014, the industry will improve income for registered women’s groups by 10%
and increase production of the highest quality shea nuts by 10%
 Strategic Objectives Met: Value Chain Competitiveness, Sustainability Impact
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7. Quality Standards and Pricing
Performance Indicators Results Indicators
2013 2014 2013 2014
• 10,000 women • 50,000 women • 5% increase in • 10% increase in
trained on trained on income for income for
standards, GSA standards, GSA registered women’s registered women’s
prices, and quality prices, and quality groups groups
best practices best practices
• 10% increase in
• 10,000 tons of shea • 50,000 tons of shea production of
nuts traded using nuts traded using highest grade shea
sustainable sustainable nuts
practices practices
Key Partnerships and Collaboration Annual Funding Strategy
• Women’s • Shea nut buyers and 2013 2014
associations processors
Dues $5,000 Dues $15,000
• Development • Non-profit
PPP $100,000 PPP $500,000
partners organizations
Assistance $50,000 Fees $50,000
Total $155,000 Assistance $25,000
Total $590,000
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8. Industry Promotion
2012
Industry  Activity: Develop marketing strategy and materials to promote shea in food and
Marketing cosmetic products
Strategy  Goals: Increase usage of shea in food and confectionary products
 Activity: Redesign GSA website to include shea business bio directory, a
Website business and academic resources library, up-to-date market info on shea, and
Redesign a microsite to market shea in food and cosmetics.
ACTIVITIES
 Goals: Increased traffic and activity (e.g., downloads, business connections
made, etc.) on site
2013  Activity: Site selection, prepare content and recruit speakers, promotion,
And Annual fundraising, and logistics planning
2014 Conference  Goals: Engage stakeholders on state of shea industry, promote all GSA
strategic objectives, create business linking opportunities
Implement  Activity: Examples include trade show representation, social media
Marketing campaigns, print ad campaigns, and promotional videos
Strategy  Goals: Attract additional membership and promote shea usage
IMPACT
 Industry Impact: By 2014, the shea industry will increase exports and regional sales by 5%.
 Strategic Objectives Met: Market Expansion, Value Chain Competitiveness, Sustainability Impact,
and Policy Advocacy
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9. Industry Promotion
Performance Indicators Results Indicators
2013 2014 2013 2014
• 50% increase in • 100% increase in • 2.5% increase in • 5% increase in
website traffic website traffic exports export
• 400 conference • 500 conference • 2.5% increase in • 5% increase in
participants participants regional market regional market
• 2 trade shows • 4 trade shows sales sales
• 2 shea international • 50 business • 100 business
events opportunities opportunities
reported reported
• 1 print ad campaign
Key Partnerships and Collaboration Annual Funding Strategy
• Women’s • Shea nut buyers and 2013 2014
associations processors
Dues $5,000 Dues $15,000
• Civil society • International brands
Sponsorships $100,000 Sponsorships $200,000
organizations and retailers
Assistance $200,000 Assistance $150,000
• Development • Marketing and
partners publicity firms Total $305,000 Total $365,000
• Non-profit • Legal firm
organizations
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10. National Association Support
2013  Activity: Assist stakeholders to form national associations in Cote D’Ivoire and
National
Benin
Association
 Goals: Form democratic institutions that represent the interests of shea
ACTIVITIES TIMELINE
Development
stakeholders
2014
 Activity: Provide technical and financial support to new associations of Cote
National
Association D’Ivoire and Benin and existing associations in Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso,
Support Nigeria to ensure effective governance and activities to accomplish strategic
objectives
 Goals: National associations have established democratic procedures, strategic
plans, policy advocacy plans, fund raising activities, and project management
ability
 Activity: Provide ongoing technical support to promote quality shea nuts and
GSA Project policy advocacy
Collaboration  Goals: National associations effectively manage quality campaigns and achieve
policy advocacy goals in their respective countries
IMPACT
 Industry Impact: National representative bodies that contribute to the strategic objectives of the
GSA.
 Strategic Objectives Met: Value Chain Competitiveness, Policy Advocacy, Sustainability Impact
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11. National Association Support
Performance Indicators Results Indicators
2013 2014 2013 2014
• 2 national • 6 grants to national • 50 businesses • Associations raise
associations formed associations to fund engaged in national $200,000 for
activities associations activities
• 6 technical trainings • 6 country level
completed promotional events
• Strategic,
fundraising, and
advocacy plans for
each association
Key Partnerships and Collaboration Funding Strategy
• National • Local government 2013 2014
associations agencies and
Dues $5,000 Dues $15,000
• Development ministries
Assistance $250,000 Assistance $350,000
partners • Shea nut buyers and
processors Total $230,000 Total $240,000
• Non-profit
organizations • International brands
and retailers
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