Strategic rethink needed if EBMOs are to serve members in a new and unpredictable environment and invest in resilience
The third Asia Pacific Regional Employer and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs) Conference was held virtually on 28 September 2022 to discuss strategic and innovative approaches to service provision in the post-COVID era
Seventy EBMO representatives at the senior leadership and management level from 30 EBMOs in Asia and the Pacific region participated in this regional meeting.
Through proactive discussion, EBMOs were able to gain better insight into issues and challenges facing the roles, functions, and strategies of service provision in the recovery context, as well as new ideas and possible solutions for a resilient future.
Experiences and lessons learnt were shared to promote the strategic rethink needed if EBMOs are to serve members in a new and unpredictable environment and invest in resilience. Deborah France-Massin, Director of ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities, said “As a result of the transformation of working modalities during the COVID-19 crisis, businesses demand new services that will help them respond to market challenges. EBMOs need to make strategic choices, rethink old paradigms and innovate their service provision”. She added, “ACTEMP will provide a platform to enhance EBMOs’ organizational capacity to regear their service offer and help enhance the value of EBMOs in a new and unpredictable environment.” Roberto Suarez-Santos, Secretary General of the IOE, emphasized, “IOE is looking for effective and efficient solutions for EBMOs to promote their values defending business in a situation of uncertainty.”
Ms. Suyesha Sthapit, Executive Director of the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) shared a success story of the Business Development Centre which has provided one-stop solution for all services needed for potential and existing women entrepreneurs. Ms. Lan Anh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), introduced the Provincial Competitiveness Index which is developed to measure economic governance of provincial government for business development and help member company’s investment decisions. Ms. Eveleen Hayden, Board Member of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CICCI), talked about the service supporting informal vendors to register their business, enrol in tax scheme, social security and also receive some business development services. Ms. Chloe Bae, Director of International Cooperation of the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF), talked about new demands of services from member companies during the COVID pandemic. The meeting then saw many EBMO representatives engaged in open discussion, proactively focusing on how EBMO’s service portfolio has changed and what the future of services would be in the post-pandemic era.
ILO ACTEMP and IOE introduced the tools and research products they have developed to help EBMOs effectively and efficiently respond to new demands of services and enhance their capacity to provide services.
As a result of these sessions, EBMOs were able to gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges they face in terms of their societal role, functions and strategies in the context of recovery and resilience for the future. Experiences and lessons learnt were shared and discussed to promote the strategic rethink that is needed if EBMOs are to serve members in a new and unpredictable environment and invest in resilience.
This meeting is the third in the series of regional ILO ACTEMP/IOE online conferences under an umbrella theme of “EBMOs: Towards greater resilience, innovation and value.”
ILO/IOE Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Strategic and Innovative Approaches to Organizational Development and Management of Employers and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs). The themes of the first and second regional conferences were organizational development and policy advocacy of EBMOs. The series will culminate in a face-to-face symposium on 5th December 2022 planned to be organized in conjunction with the 17th ILO Asia Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) which will take place on 6-9 December 2022 in Singapore.
Sanchir, Tugschimeg, Regional Desk Officer for Asia Pacific and Arab States, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, tugschimeg@ilo.org
Bromley, Wade, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, bromley@ilo.org
Lee, Dong Eung, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, leed@ilo.org
Peiris, Ravindra, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, peiris@ilo.org
Through proactive discussion, EBMOs were able to gain better insight into issues and challenges facing the roles, functions, and strategies of service provision in the recovery context, as well as new ideas and possible solutions for a resilient future.
Experiences and lessons learnt were shared to promote the strategic rethink needed if EBMOs are to serve members in a new and unpredictable environment and invest in resilience. Deborah France-Massin, Director of ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities, said “As a result of the transformation of working modalities during the COVID-19 crisis, businesses demand new services that will help them respond to market challenges. EBMOs need to make strategic choices, rethink old paradigms and innovate their service provision”. She added, “ACTEMP will provide a platform to enhance EBMOs’ organizational capacity to regear their service offer and help enhance the value of EBMOs in a new and unpredictable environment.” Roberto Suarez-Santos, Secretary General of the IOE, emphasized, “IOE is looking for effective and efficient solutions for EBMOs to promote their values defending business in a situation of uncertainty.”
Ms. Suyesha Sthapit, Executive Director of the Federation of Woman Entrepreneurs' Associations of Nepal (FWEAN) shared a success story of the Business Development Centre which has provided one-stop solution for all services needed for potential and existing women entrepreneurs. Ms. Lan Anh, Secretary General of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), introduced the Provincial Competitiveness Index which is developed to measure economic governance of provincial government for business development and help member company’s investment decisions. Ms. Eveleen Hayden, Board Member of the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CICCI), talked about the service supporting informal vendors to register their business, enrol in tax scheme, social security and also receive some business development services. Ms. Chloe Bae, Director of International Cooperation of the Korea Enterprises Federation (KEF), talked about new demands of services from member companies during the COVID pandemic. The meeting then saw many EBMO representatives engaged in open discussion, proactively focusing on how EBMO’s service portfolio has changed and what the future of services would be in the post-pandemic era.
ILO ACTEMP and IOE introduced the tools and research products they have developed to help EBMOs effectively and efficiently respond to new demands of services and enhance their capacity to provide services.
As a result of these sessions, EBMOs were able to gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges they face in terms of their societal role, functions and strategies in the context of recovery and resilience for the future. Experiences and lessons learnt were shared and discussed to promote the strategic rethink that is needed if EBMOs are to serve members in a new and unpredictable environment and invest in resilience.
This meeting is the third in the series of regional ILO ACTEMP/IOE online conferences under an umbrella theme of “EBMOs: Towards greater resilience, innovation and value.”
ILO/IOE Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Strategic and Innovative Approaches to Organizational Development and Management of Employers and Business Membership Organizations (EBMOs). The themes of the first and second regional conferences were organizational development and policy advocacy of EBMOs. The series will culminate in a face-to-face symposium on 5th December 2022 planned to be organized in conjunction with the 17th ILO Asia Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) which will take place on 6-9 December 2022 in Singapore.
Sanchir, Tugschimeg, Regional Desk Officer for Asia Pacific and Arab States, Bureau for Employers’ Activities, tugschimeg@ilo.org
Bromley, Wade, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, bromley@ilo.org
Lee, Dong Eung, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, leed@ilo.org
Peiris, Ravindra, Senior Specialist on Employer’s Activities in Bangkok, peiris@ilo.org