CIPE Regional Office Director Facilitates Serbian Association of Managers' Board Retreat

CIPE has provided the Serbian Association of Managers with critical support since 2008 to help strengthen the voice of SAM’s members and promoting private sector participation to improve Serbia’s business climate. As its intensive growth rate has changed SAM’s internal and external outlook, CIPE and SAM organized a day-long workshop for board members on September 30, 2009 to take stock in their skills and experience as a means to strengthen the organization. With CIPE's assistance, the Serbian Association of Managers (SAM) has grown from a small group of managers striving to improve the business environment in Serbia to the leading business association at the forefront of dialogue with the government. 

SAM is a young business association that was created three years ago by a group of managers, with the purpose to help the profession evolve, to help Serbian managers become stronger and increase their competencies. The idea attracted a large group as supporters, who became members in SAM, so that these days we speak about an association with around 200 members. While numbers are good for a young association, this does not prevent them from the issues and challenges that new associations face, such as rapid growth, change in strategies, mission consolidation, and governance issues. 

While SAM’s growth has enabled the organization to take a more active role in business advocacy, it has also forced the organization to address the potential problems raised by the group’s increased profile and larger membership, which has grown by over 50 percent since 2008. 

Camelia Bulat, Regional Office in Romania Program Director, facilitated the workshop and encouraged board members to discuss their vision for the organization as it evolves. Bulat focused on good governance practices for business associations, board functions and responsibilities, understanding membership needs and expectations, and association effectiveness and sustainability. 

The issues that SAM faces are common for young business associations, regardless of the surrounding economic or political context. It is crucial for managing its growth and reaching sustainable development that SAM dig deep to understand its priorities and challenges and gain the full commitment of its leadership.

SAM’s leadership used the opportunity of the workshop to start working on clarifying SAM’s identity as an organization and just what part of the private sector it should represent – professional managers or business as a whole. Board members also deliberated on how the association would continue to represent all its members as it continues to grow. The leadership stressed the urgency of strengthening SAM’s role in prioritizing and articulating key issues for business policy reform, especially in light of the financial crisis. 

As a result of their discussions, SAM’s board members are ready to establish an executive committee to investigate reshaping SAM’s mission statement to support its growing role as a voice of business, as well as the voice of this profession – an update on its progress will be given at SAM’s Annual Assembly in December 2009.      

This workshop helped new and old board members alike to understand the significant role SAM has assumed for itself. At this time, there are not enough domestic business associations in Serbia directly engaged with high-level government officials on critical business issues – and SAM’s growing membership is testament to the need for such an organization. SAM President Slobodan Vucicevic emphasized that the organization needs to be “faster and stronger” in promoting its views and continue to stay “relevant” in addressing the key business problems with the government, especially in light of the global financial crisis. At the same time, SAM must seize the opportunity it has to pave the way as a model for good association governance and advocacy for other associations that may appear along the way.

 

The Association of Business Women and Top Managers in Brasov (Romania) Launches CIPE Publication

CIPE holds youth advocacy seminar forum at Ukrainian university

CIPE Regional Office hosts ToT seminar in Bucharest

CIPE conference marks 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall

CIPE Regional Office Director attends MEDA Women Entrepreneurs' Forum

CIPE Regional Office Director Facilitates Serbian Association of Managers' Board Retreat

RCOM Invited to Provide Advocacy Training to the Macedonian Chamber for Information and Communication Technology (MASIT)

CIPE Offers Internship in the U.S. to Young Romanian Chamber Professional

Balkan and Caucasus Regional: Training of Trainers

Developing Advocacy Skills and Competencies for Armenian Business Associations

Barbara Barrett Visits the Coalition of Women Business Associations in Romania (CAFA)

Strengthening Business Support Organizations in Azerbaijan

Romanian ICT Coalition’ Efforts in Advancing Public Policies Promoted as Best Practices in the Eastern Europe Region

Public-Private Dialogues for Competitiveness Reforms in Bosnia Herzegovina

Strengthen Business Support Organizations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Romania Program (2007-2008)

The Regional Coalition of Women Business Associations Program (2005-2007)

Coalition of Women Business Associations in Romania Program (2004-2005)

Romanian Business Associations Development Program (2000-2003)