Long-Term Business Advisors Program

Implementing Organization:
Institute for International Education

In October of 2005, VEGA member organization, The Institute for International Education (IIE), through its Emerging Markets Development Advisers Program (EMDAP), implemented the Long-Term Business Advisors Program in Zambia to develop and enhance the competitiveness of the country's private sector with the ultimate goal of promoting the growth of Zambia's economy.

Leveraging the business management knowledge and technical expertise of recent graduate students, VEGA identified one highly qualified volunteer to assist USAID’s Office of Microenterprise Development (MD) as an Adviser for Strategic Planning and Industry Selection and Analysis with The Production, Finance and Improved Technology (PROFIT) project focusing on competitiveness, value chain analysis, and value chain intervention design and implementation. PROFIT is poverty reduction program which focuses primarily on fostering agricultural market linkages.

LTBA Zambia Program Achievements

• Conducted a major market assessment in Kalabo (western province) on healthcare provision, including in-depth interviews with community members, government health officials, physicians and nurses. The information gathered from this study set the initial steps for the design of a pre-paid health insurance module.
• Developed an in-depth gender study across five different districts in Zambia and created a report coupled with training for staff with specific recommendations for each district.
• Performed gender research and training which led to an increase in the number of women participating in PROFIT programs “without causing household turmoil” as well as greater sensitivity among PROFIT staff to gender considerations.

Adviser Testimonials

“By the end of the year, I had developed a methodology to conduct group interviews that was very effective and allowed me to interact with as many as 250 women simultaneously. My research was an attempt to learn the behavior of women and men within a family unit, so [PROFIT] could understand the outcome of its implementations.”

-Gabriela Prudencio
Business Promotion Adviser, PROFIT, Lusaka, Zambia

Additional Information

Longterm Business Advisers Program Brochure- pdf»