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World Bank Project P157230 “iLLI Central Asia - Youth Empowerment & Entrepreneurship Component 2 (Youth Entrepreneurship) Public Disclosure Authorized Build Your Future Today! The Entrepreneurship Skills Training for Youth in Tajikistan Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Midterm Report November 2016 Public Disclosure Authorized Training Centre of Business & Finance Excellence for World Bank, Equitable Growth, Finance and Institution Leadership, Learning and Innovation (GGELI) and Trade and Competitiveness (T&C) Page 1 of 34 Table of content 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Implementing consulting company ..................................................................................................................... 4 3. Training Concept & Content – Phase 1 ................................................................................................................ 4 4. Program Results – Phase 1 .................................................................................................................................. 5 5. Lessons Learned................................................................................................................................................. 15 6. Planned Activities: Phases 2 & 3 ........................................................................................................................ 16 1 Introduction 1.1. Background: In context of the economic challenges and the current situation with returnee migrants faced by Tajikistan, the World Bank works to help the Government of Tajikistan devise alternative strategies to stimulate entrepreneurship among youth, improve the implementation of pro-youth and pro-private sector policies, and promote collaborative policy making on investment climate policies, framework and institutions. The World Bank Capacity Development and Youth Empowerment project (project number P15239) has two components: i) Help foster implementation of pro-youth and pro-private sector policies; and ii) Promote youth entrepreneurship. This report concerns the training activities under the second component of the project. The project is implemented by the World Bank under the auspices of the State Committee on Investment and State Property Management of Tajikistan (SCISPM). 1.2. Objectives and Approach: The focus of the entrepreneurship skills training for youth in Tajikistan is to provide youth, especially, from rural areas, with business acumen sensitization, and to promote their active involvement in the economic development of their regions. As part of the program, a series of workshops for 20-30 participants per seminar are delivered in various districts and villages of Tajikistan, in parallel with a supporting communication program on entrepreneurship. The main goal of the workshops is to: i) increase youth’s awareness of entrepreneurship skills, ii) empower youth as individuals, harnessing their creativity and strengthening their self- confidence and sense of agency, iii) build group cohesion and camaraderie, as well as iv) provide a space for youth to evolve their ideas into a concrete business activity. The program targets young people that are 15–25 years old, and aims to reach a total of 3750 beneficiaries. The selection process is carried out by a local implementing partner with active support of youth NGOs and centers. Local Mass Media is deployed in order to extend the reach of the program. Trainers are trained, deployed in several regions, and evaluated throughout the training period. The overall training program is implemented by a competitively selected local partner (the “Training Center for Business and Finance Excellence”), in close collaboration with the SCISPM and the World Bank Group’s country office. A series of partnerships were also forged with local academic institutions to ensure content relevance and sustainability of the program. Similarly, private sector associations were involved to ensure linkages amongst youth groups, successful entrepreneurs, and potential job opportunities. Page 2 of 34 1.3. Methodology: The training workshops are designed with youth psychology and behavior in mind, and structured in modules covering the main dimensions of entrepreneurship. An integral part of each phase is youth empowerment, team building, and peer-to-peer network. The training implementation is designed per the following phases: Phase 1: A series of 150 events were organized across the country, with a participation of 25-30 youth per workshop, bringing the total number of trainees to 3,838. At this stage, the training are a one-day workshop aiming at providing a basic overview and concepts of entrepreneurship to increase awareness among young people about potential opportunities to become actor of change, and to promote a positive youth leadership narrative. Upon completion of this phase, all interested teams were encouraged to submit an application to be considered for the boot camp in phase 2, and were provided with a support call-in number. Phase 2: Around 400 young participants (80 teams) were selected and invited to participate in a four-day boot camp on entrepreneurship and business development. This training is much more hands-on and technical than the previous one, as it covers in depth all the concepts, tools and principles that are necessary to become a successful entrepreneur, such as drafting a sound business plan, conducting a market analysis, presenting a product and securing funding. This phase will launch in January 2017. Phase 3: The best 10 teams will be selected by a jury for a business plan competition during a Youth Entrepreneurship Forum. These teams will be provided with financial support and / or technical assistance to help them improve their business plan and apply for external funding (loans and grants), or other resources they might need (office space, connectivity, etc.), notably by collaborating with public institutions (e.g. the Youth Committee, the SCISPM), Development Partners (e.g. Open Society, EBRD), and the private sector (e.g. commercial banks, potential investors). This report will cover primarily the first phase of the training program. A summary of the planned activities and schedule for phase 2 and 3 will be shared in the final section of this report. 1.4. Scope of Work: Primarily, this youth entrepreneurship program is centered on the following deliverables: Training program design and curriculum development, including the agenda, timing and places (i.e. towns, villages) of the training sessions. The training material includes a wide range of topics and is designed in a way that allows maximum adaptation, and ease of repurposing and redeployment during and after the program duration. Trainee workbook development. These workbooks are a major resource for the selected youth during their participation in the program and beyond. The workbooks are translated to English, Russian, Tajik and local languages. Selection of young trainees from four target geographic areas (Sugd, Khatlon, RRS, and Dushambe) in collaboration with the local authorities. Selection, recruitment and training of high quality trainers, who demonstrate extensive experience in training delivery, particularly as it pertains to the youth segment, as well as good knowledge of entrepreneurship concepts. Design, planning and management of the Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, including Jury selection, prize sourcing, event planning, communication and overall coordination. Page 3 of 34 Local consultation and engagement in the selection process, as the project team visited each target village or district to introduce the program to local authorities and obtain their approval, and to identify an adequate cohort of trainees. Logistics management, including venues selection and rental, providing trainers with appropriate training materials, catering, accommodation, printing and preparation of hand-out materials for training sessions. 2. Implementing consulting company The “Training Center for Business and Finance Excellence” (TC BFE) is an educational center which covers all aspects of business, management, banking and finance. Originally affiliated with a financial institution before being spun off into an independent business, the TC BFE offers a range of services and trainings for the micro- finance sector, business trainings for small and medium enterprises, financial education for entrepreneurs and individuals, business consultations, business Incubation services, B2B activities and mentoring programs. One of the important target audience of the TC BFE and its trainers is youth. Its clients are both private, non- governmental, and institutional. 3. Training Concept & Content – Phase 1 A one-day training workshop was offered to all the participants. Each workshop involved cohorts of 25-30 participants (total of 150 workshops). The training consists of four sessions covering business-related themes. Interactive methods of teaching, such as group discussions, case studies, brainstorming, work in small groups, were prioritized to facilitate both the active participation of the participants as well the internalization of learned materials. Each participant was provided with a workbook that consists of a basic step by step guide on business idea generation and development of a business plan. They were also given a handbook called “Young Entrepreneurs Guide” that