Ethiopian Business Development Services (BDS) Network
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BDS - Newsletter

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No. 19  -  November  2006

Official opening of CEFE Upgrading TOT

Mr. Reiner Kolshorn, CEO of CEFE International

Tower Building Game

Market Place Dealing

CEFE goes Sector Specific In Ethiopia

CEFE is an acronym of Competency Based Economies Through Formation of Entrepreneurs which has evolved from small business creation (SBC) training programme in Nepal in the nineteen eighties.  This entrepreneurship training programme has been promoted by German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) since then and developed into a more comprehensive all rounded modular training package which empowers participants to develop personal entrepreneurial competencies (PECs) and competently develop their own business plans. Currently CEFE International is authorised to promote the programme and it is now conducted in about 130 countries. CEFE has been introduced in Ethiopia in January 1995 and has been popularised in most of the regions. Many entrepreneurs proved CEFE to be a very powerful instrument for empowering with PECs and systematically guiding participants to prepare their own business plans. There are an estimated number of about 200 CEFE trainers in Ethiopia out of which about 25 have taken International TOT. Thousands of Ethiopian MSME operators have taken the course already in the last decade.

GTZ-IS UCBP (University Capacity Building Programme) is currently in charge of building 13 universities in 15 towns around the country. The university construction is contracted out to General Contractors (GC); however, SMEs in specialised relevant constructions activities would also be involved with the aim of building their technical capacities through the process and also build their financial capacities for promoting their enterprises to better standards. Out of the total value of the construction work, at least 25% will be sub-contracted to SMEs. This will be done without compromising quality, cost and speed. To this effect, the SME operators would be trained both to upgrade their skills in their respective fields and develop their entrepreneurial competencies. The entrepreneurial development training will be conducted with CEFE methodology, but customised to SME construction sector.

UCBP has launched this programme with conducting training needs assessment (TNA) in selected four university towns, developing customised training sessions and conducting a five day Upgrading Training of Trainers (TOT) for 16 experienced local CEFE trainers from various regions of Ethiopia during the month of October 2006. The TNA has been conducted by a reputed local consultancy firm, BCaD-Consulting Management and the sessions have been customised with the same firm in collaboration with CEFE International. Mr. Reiner Kolshorn, CEO of CEFE International, has taken part both in the session development and conducting upgrading TOT. Appreciation Workshop (AW) will be conducted in four rounds in November, 2006 so that the various stakeholders could evaluate the training by being directly involved as participants themselves on a one day training each. Once the customised training gets the appreciation of the stakeholders, the direct entrepreneurial training to SMEs will be launched.

Customising CEFE training with such sector specific specialised approach is the first of its kind in Ethiopia and is expected to be friendlier to the participants with addressing their sector specific problems. Since CEFE is a participatory and action oriented learning instrument, participants are exposed in a training environment which is similar to their real life practices. This methodology facilitates enhanced critical thinking and the ease of generalisation without the need for utilisation of great brain power, but searching practical solutions to problems surrounding the business environment with games and exercises which are very interactive, enjoyable and deliberately designed to address identified problems.  

CEFE Membership

Ten Ethiopian CEFE Trainers have joined CEFE International Membership during the upgrading workshop held in October, 2006. Becoming a member of CEFE International has many benefits including networking with the worldwide CEFE practitioners, exchanging concepts, sharing materials, growing into becoming certified Senior International Trainer and Adviser through personal efforts, etc. We expect that some Ethiopian Trainers will be certified to become Senior International Advisors soon.   This builds the capacity of the trainers to extend their services to regional markets in Africa and beyond.

Previous BDS Newsletters please visit www.bds-ethiopia.net/news.htm.

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