USAID Serbia Competitiveness Project

1. USAID Serbia Competitiveness Project Business Service Providers in Education and Training: Advancing Sustainability Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

2. Project Examples USAID Serbia Competitiveness Project • 4-year, $14.7 million project (September 2007- September 2011) • 11 sectors focusing on 3 themes – Sales & Marketing, Education & Training, and Policy Advocacy & Reform Serbia Enterprise Development Project (SEDP) • 3-year, $14.1 Million (April 2003-April 2007) • Apparel, Design, Food, ICT, Tourism Romania Enterprise Development and Strengthening Project • 5-year, $13.3 million • ICT and Tourism Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

3. Lessons Learned in Promoting Sustainability in Education and Training • Identify problems and solutions - then define project activities • Don’t go it alone - find partners and cost share • Don’t provide for free - fees add value and demonstrate demand • Invest in course materials - let service providers implement • Institutionalize knowledge using whatever format is available and works LET THE MARKET TAKE OVER Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

4. Identify problems and solutions… How difficult is it for your company to identify qualified candidates when recruiting? Activity: • Conducted 500+ flash survey and 90+ direct interviews • Survey demand for project support relative to other activities Findings: • Areas where technical skills are lacking, i.e., textile, tourism, wood processing • Found strong demand for Project and General Management, especially in ICT and Construction Svcs

5. …and then define project activities Choose up to three areas that you consider to be the most important for your business and sector that could benefit from the assistance of our program Results/Benefits: • High level of demand for project support • Treating Education as a sector and tracking its revenue and growth • Informed early program activities in PM training and Construction Services • In-depth Skills Gap Analysis underway in 4 key sectors Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

6. Don’t go it alone - find partners to cost share and subsidize fees… Activity: • U. of Novi Sad Center for Clusters was planning PM training for 20-30 companies in Novi Sad • Funded trainer to expand reach and lower fee while Center covered catering, facilities, transport, etc. • Marketed to firms and added ToT component Results/Benefits: • Reached over 80 companies in 3 cities (Nis, Novi Sad, Belgrade) • Supported U. of Novi Sad as a leader in the field • Transferred knowledge and materials to 20 service providers • Subsidized fee increased participation without market distortion • Did not require significant investment of resources Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

7. …but don’t provide for free – fees add value and measure demand Activity: • Industry Level Certifications for Romanian ICT firms • Companies traveled internationally to attend courses • Brought in outside expertise to train service providers • Provided reimbursable grants to cover €150-200 for courses Results/Benefits: • CMMI Master Level classes created at 4 Romanian Universities • 120 Romanian IT SMEs became PMP certified • 459 training sessions and 152 certifications • Only country between Germany and India with CMMI Lead Appraiser Qualification • Sustainable service providers created with 5-6 organizations still providing this service Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

8. Invest in course materials and… Activity: • SEDP provided international expertise in design of course materials in negotiations, business communications, ICT, Digital Imaging, Apparel, Design Before and After Software Development and Product Management Package Design curricula with Univ. of Brighton Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

9. …let service providers implement Results: • Training materials provided to 17 institutions • 2 major universities integrated into Software Curricula • 2 design schools implemented courses • Architectural Faculty established a digital imaging course that is oversubscribed and seeking to build private sector capacity • Materials remain available at www.compete.rs

10. Institutionalize knowledge using whatever format is available and works Activity: • Courses in Apparel Efficiency and Quality Control (Textile) and CMMI (ICT) • Organized and trained a group of professors who worked at traditional universities who were also consultants • Developed course materials and provided initial consultants Results: • Supported a private sector mechanism to meet a market demand • More sustainable than seeking to develop within a university • More feasible than trying to develop within a purely private entity when market is too small to support • Consultants had an additional source of revenue Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton

11. Conclusion: Address both demand and supply • Demand: Provide something the companies want and need • Demand: Initial subsidies (and grants) are effective in expanding reach, demonstrating value, and developing market • Supply: Cost sharing can expand reach and build capacity of providers • Supply: Consider non-traditional providers and delivery networks • Supply: Invest in developing course materials and provide to numerous local providers LET THE MARKET TAKE OVER Booz │ Allen │ Hamilton