Deliver services to your members !  [top]

Objective of each self-help organisation is to deliver services to its members. If an association has at its disposal statutes, personnel, administrative body, membership fees and equipment but doesn't deliver any significant services to its members, in that case that association is not working but only existing. Our objective should be to get a working association in order to represent the interests of its members.

Needs assessment

The first step in Business Services Delivery is to assess the needs and proposals of the association members on enterprise level and in group meetings. For the needs assessment fill a simple situation analysis overview and discuss the following issues with the operator. In that you will get information about the situation and main problems and proposals of the operator in a demand oriented manner:

Documents 
for download

For download click on to the link with the right mouse button.

Situation analysis 
overview format.doc

Questionnaire on needs assessment on operator's level

Another possibility of needs assessment may be to draw up and 
distribute a questionnaire in order to find out about the situation, 
problems and proposals of the entrepreneur members:

Questionnaire.doc 
for download

General meetings

General meetings with the members may help you to get further information about the problems and proposals on the grass root level.

In order to organise an efficient meeting you should note the following steps:

• Invite members and partners not too short before the meeting;

• Join the agenda proposal;

• Choose a moderator for the meeting;

• Discuss the member problems and issues before adminstrative issues;

• Discuss solutions and negociate actions with partners

• Work out minutes of the meeting and send it to the participants.

Action planning

Especially the last column "Problems and proposals of the operator himself" will give you some ideas about the necessary activities to support your members. After the situation analysis transform it into the action plan:

Action plan.doc 
format

Implementation of services

The implementation of services to the members depends on your situation analysis and action planning. The better you did the situation and problem analysis the better you will get ideas for services.

What do you expect from the Association as a Member?

Members of various associations expect to be provided with different services such as those:

• to receive appropriate training concerning their business;

• to get loans;

• to profit from any fundraising programs;

• to obtain manufacturing and trading locations;

• to benefit from advantages that can come as a result of favourable policies for the development of the private sector;

• to participate in trade fairs and bazaars;

• to receive training with regard to HIV/AIDS;

• to get acquainted with other trade associations.

Training needs, as suggested by members

The following training topics were recommended for association executives:

• business management;

• networking;

• project development and management;

• marketing;

• gender issues;

• lobbying skill;

• business planning;

• communication;

• how to give business services;

• how to get more members;

• information technology.

What are the Services
the Associations need to render to their Members?

With regard to which services the association can render to its members, the following were suggested:

Help them benefit from trading locations

If strengthened, the association can plan to help those who work in 'Gulit' areas and those who do not have decent location to carry out their businesses. Getting a location where the micro and small enterprises can work is considered to be an issue of priority for the association. The minimum a micro and small enterprise should have is a working premises.

Act as guarantor for the MSEs to access loan

In the case of MSEs requesting loans from the bank or micro financiers, the association can write letters to the respective financial organizations to assist the micro and small firms. In most cases NGOs and other micro financiers ask for some sort of guarantor and this is what the association can take responsibility for. Receiving loans is not without problems. Therefore, the association has to participate in the payment plan too.

Assist members in organizing exhibitions and bazaars

The association can arrange an exhibition/bazaar to display goods and services for its members. The products and services can be promoted through the trade fair to prospective buyers. It can organize industry trade shows to stimulate an interest in and demand for the industry’s products and services. Depending on the size of the firm, it can also solely organize bazaars for sales purposes. The key component to developing an exhibition/bazaar event by the association is to create buyer-seller relationships.

Provide some advocacy services for members

The association is obliged to provide advocacy services to protect members against any legal action that may be brought against them. Besides, it plans to guard the association in any way possible and to solve member conflicts, if any. As profit oriented trade associations, it will not be easy for the associations to handle legal cases. For the association to guard against any legal responsibility, it may be necessary for the executives of the association to understand how an association liability can arise.

Inform members about objectives of the association

The association can provide proper orientation programs to its members. It should clarify any issues that could be misunderstood by the members. It can plan to set various programs that make members understand the objectives of the association, so that they can increase their attendance and participation. During the establishment of association’s goals and objectives, involving as many members as possible could minimize the hard work of orienting members on the intent and purpose of the association.

Orient members on international experience

Since the associations may have some members who would like to go to the international market, the association can play the role of orientating its members on international experiences. The association can assist them in attaining some ideas on international market situations and concepts.

Representing members in different forums

It is the association’s responsibility to create a link between the association and the various organizations. Because of the situation of many micro and small enterprises the executives can additionally represent the association in different forums, workshops and gatherings related to this.

Coordination of the regional and zonal associations

By having clear ideas and guiding procedures the association can coordinate the regional and existing or potential zonal associations. As a supplementary function, regional associations can look into establishing the zonal associations.

Organizing or providing appropriate training

The association can develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of its members as well as that of the executives. By improving the knowledge and capabilities of its members the association can make these members more valuable to themselves, to their organization as well as to the association. When the association sets up training programs, it may need to plan what resources it is prepared to provide on its own and what it can receive from stakeholders, government institutions as well as projects. The association, in its endeavour to provide appropriate training, plans to appoint qualified and competent staffs to facilitate training to its executives and members

Networking within associations

The association will facilitate its members to create networks between each other and with other business organizations. It can also create a network with other relevant associations. Networking with federal and regional MSE development agencies The association has limited financial capacity to provide too many business development services; therefore, through networking with development agencies such as the Federal and Regional Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agencies (FeMSEDA/ReMSEDAs) it can plan to carry out some development activities. It can also achieve many advantages by networking with other organizations that are also engaged in business development services.

Encourage micro and small enterprises to join the association

By going to the businesses of the respective micro and small firm owners, the association would be able to stimulate and teach members to think at a more advanced level and entice them into joining the association. It can also be a means of retaining members. At the beginning this approach is considered to be better than attempting to call them for a meeting.

Contacting partners

In order to implement the action plan, the entrepreneur association should think about its share of the action and about the partners who may help you: vocational training centers, financing institutions, marketing providers etc. The association representatives should contact these partners and negotiate on a collaboration. The steps 
to get a collaboration with partner organisations are:

• Work out a situation analysis and action plan. Partners don't like fund raising and help without concrete action proposals;

• do a list of potential partner organisations, including their name, address, fields of intervention, possible fields of collaboration;

• contact them and show them your action planning;

• negotiate common activities.

Fundraising

• The basis of fund raising are your own funds! Nobody likes to give you financing, if your own association didn't get already own funds. Sources for own funds are membership fees and fees for services accompanied by a good financial management and bookkeeping system. 

• Next step for fund raising are concrete proposals for conrete actions. No donor agency like to finance a simple structure, but prefer to finance activites and services to your members.

• Do a list of potential partners, contact them and discuss your activities. Only on that basis discuss financial asupport.

Management of the association  [top]
Regulations for associations: association regulations.doc   association bylaw.doc

Association Regulations and By laws

The basics of the organisations structure are the regulations and by laws. They are the legal basis of the organisation and their consideration is the basis of a democratic representation. The regulations define the general objectives and fields of interventions of the association, membership conditions, organisational structure and democratic representation (composition of the executif committee, secretary general, elections), and resources.

Regulations:

• Establishment and Legality

• Objectives

• Name, Logo, Publication and Address

• Sources of Income and Accounts

• Meeting schedule

• Quorum and Voting - Membership

• Rights and Obligations of members

• Rights of Association

• Organizational structure

• Duties and Responsibilities of the General Assembly

• Duties and Responsibilities of the Executive Committee

• Duties and Responsibilities of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Accountant, Supervising Committee

• Duration of Services

• Improvement of Regulations

The by laws define the functionning of the association in detail. Especially disciplinary measures and details as opening a bank account.

By laws:

• Introduction and Definition

• Address

• Membership and Replacing members

• Opening bank account and utilization

• Disciplinary measures

• Amendment of the by law

Job description and training of representatives

Especially in a self-help association, the job description for the leaders who are not necessarily experienced in this field, is very useful in order to give to each of the leaders and to the members an idea of his field of intervention and tasks. A list of all posts should be worked out (see regulations) and for each attribution detailed explanations done. After every election the new leaders should be trained on their job on the basis of these job descriptions. 

Each of the leaders should be prepared to do an action plan for his field of intervention and a activity report at the end of each implementing period (see chapter documentation and evaluation).

Job description for leaders see 
association regulations.doc

Planning, documentation, evaluation and reporting  [top]

The association should  work out periodically action plans of the association's main activities e.g. for a period of 6 months. That organisation action plan should have the following content:

• Planning of the services to the members 
  (detailed planning of all activities as participation to fairs and exhibitions, organisation of workshops and vocational training, marketing etc...);

• Planning of other activities 
  (study tours, meetings with partners, meetings with members, general assembly etc...);

• Collaboration with partners.

All documents should be kept carefully at the association's library and will serve you for further discussions with partner organisations. At the end of a given implementation period (e.g. 6 months) you will work out a 6 month activity report:

• Services to the members achieved;

• Other activites achieved;

• Collaboration with partners achieved;

• Problems met within the last period;

• Perspectives for the next period.

Membership fees and accounting  [top]

The association has to get financial resources in order to implement services to its members. 

Membership fees are the basis of own funds of a self-help association. These funds have to be recorded on the basis of the 
list of members. 

Membership
affiliation format

Format of list of
members and records
of membership fees 

Charges and credits have to be recorded in the association cash book. With the start-up of an association, a banking account should be opened  immediately in order to ensure correct management of financial resources. Transparency of the financial system especially the bookkeeping system is absolutely necessary in order to avoid mismanagement. 

Please find on the right side a simple cashbook 1 format for manual recording and a electronic cashbook 2 format on Excel basis with automatic calculation. Cashbook 3 format is a more sophisticated cash book with accounts. A cash book with accounts permits you to record simoultaneously the movements timewise and in accounts as personal, equipment, rent, membership fees etc.

Association cash book.doc  format 1 (simple manual version)

Association cash book.doc  format 2 (electronic version)

Association cash book.xls format 3 (electronic cashbook.xls version with accounts)

How to present your association ?  [top]

The presentation of your association is not only based on your regulations (mission, objectives, fields of intervention) but especially on your activities and services to your members achieved. That is why your presentation (brochure or leaflet) should contain the following issues:

• Name of the association

• Mission and objectives

• Fields of intervention

• Activities and services to your members achieved

• Collaboration with partners

• Perspectives for the future

• Contact address.

Visualize your planning, services achieved and photos of the businesses of your members in your office rooms. Every visitor of your association should get immediately information about your activities.

Checklist to start-up and improve your association  [top]

Checklist.doc format

• Start-up phase

  • Are all potential members identified and contacted?

  • Did you organise initial meetings and discussions?

  • Has needs assessment been undertaken and situation and problems of operators analysed?

  • Have regulations and by laws been worked out and discussed?

  • Are all steps for legality accomplished?

  • Has general assembly been organised and leaders democraticaly elected?

• Follow up

  • Are meetings and membership fees regularly?

  • Are rooms and equipment aquired?

  • Are needs assessment,  activity planning and services to the members a regularly activity?

  • Are activities achieved documented, evaluated and reported?

  • Did you work out job descriptions and trainings for the leaders?

  • Is the financial system initiated (cash book, records of membership fees, bank account)?

  • Do you have contacts to partners?

What is the "Folder method" tool?  [top]

All activites of the association will be documented in a folder. If you try to do all activities that have to be inserted into the folder, you will become aware of the gaps of your association and you will try to fill them. Once done, your association will be more efficient as at the beginning.

See folder method on www.bds-ethiopia.net/approach4.html  
(there not for entrepreneur associations, but the same system)

Organizational development strategy [top]
see www.bds-ethiopia.net/approach2.html

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