Kaizen implemented an innovative, scalable program to support Egyptian business consultants and other service providers in helping Egyptian businesses improve, grow, and create jobs.
Egypt’s economy lost the momentum it had two decades prior to the 2011 revolution. Business consultants—including individuals, firms, and associations that make a living supporting other businesses—are critical to the revitalization and growth of the Egyptian private sector. In 2012 there were an estimated 1,200 such consultants in Egypt. They generate $335 million annually serving businesses in Egypt as well as the Middle East and North Africa. These consultants provide a broad range of services, including management consulting, organizational development, financial advising, investment facilitation, corporate governance, human capital development, and market research. However, due primarily to cost, the reach of these services is limited to larger businesses.
Highlights
- Established 40 professional communities led by Egyptian business consultants
- Engaged 3,500 individuals through professional communities
- Trained 7,000 individuals
- Developed 70 new business services
- Created 1,471 jobs and retained 1,541 jobs
Recognizing the Egyptian people felt disparity and lack of opportunity in the economy, USAID launched the Leveraging New Media Technologies to Create Jobs in Egypt (ALROWAD) project to create jobs and address unemployment. Kaizen was the prime implementer for the ALROWAD grant program, providing technical and managerial support in the development of a network of more than 30 communities of practice (COPs) in Egypt. The COPs’ goal was to create jobs, a key development goal for USAID/Egypt’s strategy. In support of this goal, ALROWAD strengthened the capacity and competitiveness of Egyptian business development service providers by training them to establish and lead COPs in diverse specialties and sectors, such as financial services. Through these COPs, business service providers sustainably supported—through market forces—Egyptian professionals, entrepreneurs, and small-to-medium enterprise owners in growing and creating jobs. ALROWAD’s network of 30 COPs reached nearly 10,000 member subscriptions and resulted in the creation of more than 1,400 jobs in Egypt.
Kaizen worked alongside the Egyptian sub-grantee, Dynamics Management Consulting, to implement and manage the professional communities program. Kaizen provided direct capacity development trainings on USAID contract compliance, basic program management such as tracking costs and managing personnel, and the new development model (COPs). As the project neared its close, this capacity development work, plus limited strategic guidance from Kaizen, prepared the ALROWAD program to create a sustainability plan to continue its work after USAID funding expired in September 2013. The plan identified sustainable income-generating activities and sources of funding in both the public and private sectors. The program applied to become an independently operated nongovernmental organization in Egypt.
At a glance
Client
Status
Past
Location
Egypt
Services
Knowledge sharing networks, economic growth
