BDS - Business Development Services

The Business Development Services (BDS) Zambia project is an experimental and learning project of the ILO funded by SIDA. Its overall developmental objective is to substantially expand the opportunities for quality employment for women and men in small enterprises in Zambia.

In its Phase One 2003 - 6, the Project was designed as a private sector development project following the Market Development Approach based on the Donor Committee on Small Enterprise Development BDS Guidelines. The project identified access to information as a potential intervention, building the capacity of media and communication companies to develop relevant and practical market information services for MSEs in Zambia.

To make small enterprises in Zambia healthier and more likely to grow, by increasing their access to the Business Development Services they need and want, at a price and quality that they can afford

Activities undertaken:

• Commercial radio programmes aimed at micro and small enterprises have been established with private and independent FM radio stations in Lusaka (English language) and Copperbelt (Bemba and English) for micro and small enterprises in general and, more specifically in the Southern (Lozi and Tonga) Province for Smallholder Farmers together with the Agricultural Support Programme (ASP).
• A national commercially viable business publication (The Business Post) indirectly targeting MSEs has been established together with a leading independent national daily paper, POST Newspapers Limited. At provincial level, MSE business directories (The Livingstone Directory and The Chipata Business Directory) have been established in partnership with commercial publishers.
• Together with existing service providers and practitioners, a basic HIV and AIDS handbook for Entrepreneurs in Zambia has been developed and piloted among micro and small enterprises in Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces and, smallholder farmers in Southern and Eastern Province in collaboration with the Agricultural Support Programme funded by Sida. The handbook was also produced in Braille.
• Working with AfriConnect, the BDS Zambia project developed an SMS based business model giving farmers updates on whether conditions and rapid, low-cost access to market prices at the cost of an SMS. This model was adapted by Celtel Zambia (mobile phone Company), Africonnect (Information and Communication Technology Company) and the Zambia National Farmers Union with funding from the International fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD)/ SHEMP and successfully implemented.
• As a way of promoting proactive citizen participation in media, the project trained 21 community agents from Choma, Monze, Kazungula, Kalomo and Livingstone districts.

In its Phase Two, 2007 – 2008 the BDS Zambia Project is focusing on Agriculture and more specifically, on sub-sector selection and specific value-chain market development activities. These activities revolve around the demand (smallholder farmers) and supply (markets) issues related to current ILO and ILO BDS project competencies in value-chain socioeconomic upgrading. Two Agriculture Sub-Sectors Dairy and Jatropha were selected based on their potential for employment creation and poverty reduction, women empowerment and economic growth.

The overall objective of the second phase is to consolidate (“deepen”) the sustainability of businessrelated radio programming, publishing, mobile phone and short messaging services (SMS) and other appropriate media/ICTs to facilitate information dissemination and marketing communication services that target the specific needs of micro and small enterprises (including smallholder farmers) in Agriculture.

Specifically, the project aims to reach at least 1,000 Agricultural-related MSEs and Smallholder farmers with the marketing, communication and information services that they need, to result in at least 10% increase in output, 5% increase in farm household income and 10% awareness and access to HIV/AIDS related services among those in selected sub-sectors in the Southern, Eastern and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia.

Activities undertaken to date include:

• A Value Chain Analysis (VCA) was conducted in the two subsectors, a report produced and validated in a stakeholders workshop, published and disseminated.
• Zambia Directory Services, a local marketing company, is working with the project to develop the Zambia Mega Directory, which includes mobile numbers and e-mails from MSEs and farmers in rural areas.
• Mainstreaming Gender, HIV and AIDS concerns in farming communities:
  • The BDS Project has commissioned a gender study (report) of the small scale Dairy sector to address women empowerment and gender equality issues.
  • Community radio stations; Sky FM Monze, Radio Mosi-a-tunya Livingstone, Radio Icengelo Kitwe and Breeze FM Chipata have begun radio programmes on HIV and AIDS targeting micro and small farmers and enterprises (MSEs).
• Preparing a new generation of investigative and economic journalists to cover the Dairy and Jatropha Industries. The BDS Zambia facilitated the training of journalists on business issues around the Dairy industry with Golden Valley Research Trust (GART) and the Biofuels Association around the Jatropha industry. It went on to work with Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM), who provided training on articulating gender, HIV and AIDS issues impacting on the industries. A number of print and electronic articles have since been published in newspapers on radio and television news and programmes.
• Working with Steadmans, the Project facilitated the first and second stakeholders’ workshop on national audience measurement and media monitoring facilities. Stakeholders were trained on media planning decisions, media buying and negotiation, relationships with media houses, evaluating the effectiveness of media investment, and measuring the return on media investment (ROMI).

Target beneficiaries (Implementing factors): These are media companies and organizations providing BDS-media marketing and information services specifically targeting micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and farmers in Zambia on a commercial basis. These include newspaper and magazine publishers, radio stations, mobile phone companies, Internet service providers, marketing agencies, research companies and other marketing business inputs and service providers operating in Zambia.

Ultimate beneficiaries (clients): Micro and small enterprises including small holder farmers and producers, who will be supplying or acquiring services on a commercial basis, with particular emphasis on enterprises (at least 30%) owned by women, youth and people with disabilities, and their business representative or association or affirmative action groups.