Private Enterprise and Private Sector Development

In designing, conducting, and interpreting private sector assessments , JAA has recognized the critical link between achieving private sector development and sustainable increases in income and wealth, and also in supporting the growth of stable democracies. In designing practical programs after these assessments, JAA has gained recognition as an industry leader in fostering sustainable business growth.

JAA’s Private Sector Development (PSD) approaches include sound analysis of economies’ institutional environment for business, combining competitiveness analyses with quantitative and qualitative data gathering. In this approach, JAA relies on traditional economic data, statistical sampling, and surveys; but also on goal-oriented discussion and information exchange among private and public sector focus groups and business associations. JAA has also used surveys of private firms to gather descriptive statistics on the formal and informal private sectors and to understand entrepreneurs’ perceptions of institutional and policy bottlenecks, training needs, and business opportunities.

In support of private sector development, JAA has designed and implemented programs to facilitate regional assessments and strategies, conducted many comprehensive seminars to stimulate and support national involvement in private sector development, and facilitated dialogue between government officials and private sector representatives.

JAA’s PSD implementation approaches include proven and innovative activities directed to all levels of business. These activities include:

• Business Development Services (BDS) - JAA works with private providers, associations, NGOs and other organizations that directly serve the business sector, helping them to develop more effective and market/demand based modes of service provision, to provide more comprehensive management training programs, and to enhance their ability to act as a mechanism for dialogue within and on behalf of the business sector/industry.
• Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) - JAA encourages the removal of market, information and administrative constraints on SMEs as an important step toward priming the economic environment for expansion. However, JAA recognizes that removing constraints is not enough to spur growth; SMEs require access to a range of skills and financial resources to grow quickly and sustainably.

JAA’s PSD activities are very closely tied to the JAA competitiveness approach. Many of the same tools and practices used in competitiveness projects are adjusted to PSD project contexts in terms of strategy development, economic analyses, diagnostic studies, benchmarking, business development services, small and medium sized enterprise development, training, etc.

JAA holds subcontracts on the USAID GBTI and Economic Policy IQCs with Nathan Associates, on the USAID AMAP Business Development Services IQC through DAI, and on the USAID AMAP Enabling Environment IQC with MSI.

Please follow the link below to access examples of projects on which JAA’s work focused on Private Enterprise and Private Sector Development.