The Sida-funded Start and Improve Your Business project was
successfully completed on 31 May 2005. The project ran from
February 2002 to May 2005, following a pilot phase in the Southern
Province. A self-evaluation, endorsed by the project’s
Steering Committee, concluded that the project has contributed
significantly to its development objective, i.e. the creation
and improvement of entrepreneurial activities resulting in the
generation of quality employment. In many cases it has achieved
more than its targets. Some 45 Partner Organisations and more
than 200 trainers are now able to deliver SIYB training, across
the country. Overall, they have trained more than 9,000 micro
and small business starters and owners, making it the most popular
small business management programme in the country. A recent
impact assessment found that on average each trainee created
nearly one job – double the number of two years ago. The
new Expand Your Business programme, aimed at entrepreneurs with
fast growth potential shows great promise for employment creation,
with each trainee creating about 10 jobs after participation.
Responsibility for the SIYB programme has now been fully taken
over by the Start and Improve Your Business Association of Sri
Lanka, which was founded by Partner Organisation, trainers and
Master Trainers in late 2003. The Association coordinates the
programme, and will ensure its continuous development through
training and retraining of trainers and the introduction of
new products. One of those is Know About Business, a package
for vocational trainees that aims at motivating them to consider
starting a business as an option. The programme is already being
piloted.
ILO and Sida will continue support to the SIYB programme through
a new project on Micro and Small Enterprise Development for
Pro-poor Growth, which started on 1 June. The main focus of
this programme will however be the implementation of an integrated
MSE development programme in four Districts: Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa,
Anuradhapura and Puttalam. Poverty reduction through decent
work is the project’s main goal. The three main themes
of its work are: strengthening the market for business development
services that help MSEs become more competitive and link to
bigger markets; developing the dialogue between District and
Divisional Authorities and MSEs, to effect improvements in the
policy and regulatory environment; and strengthening enterprise
culture, i.e. promoting values and attitudes that motivate people
to start and grow their business, or, on the side of the authorities,
to support MSE development through better regulations and services.
The project will take a participative and inclusive approach
to planning and developing its specific interventions, to ensure
a high degree of relevance and ownership. The project resorts
under the Ministry of Advanced Technology and Nartional Enterprise
development, and has been funded for three years.
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