Strengthening private sector development in emerging economies
“This course enabled me to deeper understand the role of the private sector and its impact on economic and social development, especially in the context of small to medium entrepreneurship development in emerging markets. ”according to Mrs. Bazmah Al Quza from Jordan who participated in MSM’s executive program on Small Business Development in Emerging Economies, which took place from 28 March – 01 April 2022.
MSMe’s – a particular kind of business
After a warm welcome, Mr. Dorus Evekink (Program Manager MSM’s private sector development programs) handed over to Mr. Andre Dellevoet, Senior project consultant and lecturer Small Business Development at MSM and designer of the Small Business Development in Emerging Economies programme. Mr Dellevoet started with an introduction on entrepreneurship and MSME’s in emerging markets, highlighting the typical characteristics of MSME’s, the challenges they are facing and a variety of instruments to support entrepreneurship and management.
Growth and development of the MSME sector
Mr. Dellevoet introduced the participants to various management systems to support the growth and development of MSME’s (including finance, HR, operations, and marketing). For Mrs. Bazmah Al Quza (Jordan) this was one of the most relevant topics: “I learned how businesses can grow by understanding the elements of the system, and which aspects are critical while starting a small business. As a project manager, this is very relevant and important for me since this will help us, as a national non-governmental organization, to support small business entrepreneurs in starting their own business. This will help them a lot and will lead to expanding their business in the future.”
Legal, ethical, social, and environmental boundaries to business
Important aspects in promoting private sector development are the legal and normative frameworks set by local governments. The participants learned about the effects of these regulations on MSME’s and how MSME’s in emerging economies are dealing with these. In addition, they discussed the concept of Informal Business Practices (IBP).
Value addition in value chains
To support local economic development (LED) building and maintaining business partnerships and networks are of utmost importance. As such, the participants were introduced to different kinds of B-to-B partnerships, the relevance of business round tables and government relations, and about Public Private Partnerships with a special focus on infrastructure. For Mrs. Al Quza, gaining a better understanding on value addition in the value chains was very valuable: “This part of the course helped me to understand the types of value chain and to get a better understanding about the challenges that entrepreneurs are facing in both the supply and demand sides of their business.”
MSME’s and markets
On the last day of the program, the participants submerged themselves into the realities of free trade and discussed the regional trade agreements and their effectiveness. They finalized the program with their own presentation of a market entry strategy for a business. Mr. Neal Thaher (Jordan) highly appreciated the program: “Coming from a background in rural development and agri-food business, my knowledge on small business development in emerging economies is considerable and I wanted to further develop this. The experience in this program, the learning resources that were provided, and the new networks created, will enhance my research works.”
Also Mr. Wilson Idahor (Nigeria) highly valued the program: “Every part of the program has been valuable, the course has very creatively linked each topic which led you to a holistic approach to dealing with the core issues of Small businesses development in emerging economies “
Peer-to-peer learning
Throughout the week, the participants worked on various group assignments, which was very well received: “The group work was exciting and challenging as well, I have exchanged experiences and thoughts about what I have learned during the lectures. Together we have analyzed many MSME cases relevant to the everyday learning topics, and we have learned how to overcome barriers in starting and building sustainable SME’s.” according to Mrs. AlQuza.
Mr. Idahor considered working in groups with people from so many different backgrounds as a great experience: “Combining experience from Sub-Sahara Africa and Middle Eastern countries brings interesting perspectives to the discussions. Some challenges that look quite impossible to solve in SSA have been resolved quite easily in Middle Eastern countries. The group assignment was a platform to share such challenges and solutions within a geographical context.”
Also for Mr. Thaher working in groups was very much appreciated: “All the participants demonstrated an exceptional drive to develop their skills, to communicate effectively and to contribute to the assignments and discussions throughout the program. Together we accomplished the tasks with great initiatives and all with positive attitudes. We collaborated and applied what we have learned during the program in the discussions, case studies and groups assignments.”
Mr. Nael highly valued the teaching style and expertise of Andre Dellevoet: “Mr. Dellevoet is attentive to the needs of the participants in the program who come from different backgrounds. His dedication to SME's and creating knowledge inspired us to achieve more than we thought possible. He is a driven and remarkable lead trainer who developed an inspiring relationship with us.”
Mr. Idahor could not agree more: “Great experience with Andre! His knowledge, and practical experiences in business development from several dimensions of economic development and from several countries, provides valuable, practical insights that only few presenters can bring to a business development training such as this.”
Would you like to join the Small Business Development in Emerging Economies program as well?
The next executive Small Business Development in Emerging Economies programme will take place from 27 February - 03 March 2023. Click here for more information about the programme and how to apply.
About MSM’s executive education programs
Today’s rapidly changing societies and economies demand the most from organizations, leaders, managers and professionals. MSM’s Executive Education programs for emerging markets are developed to achieve a successful and sustainable transformation of both individuals and organizations to support local economic development and business management.
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