Bucharest; June 20, 2006 - Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE Romania) organized between June 12 and 13, 2006, the Pilot Project for the first Institute for Organization Management in the country, institute that will provide training for the employees of business associations, chambers of commerce and employers' organizations
The main role of the Pilot Project was to test the concept that the IOM Romania is based on, the approach, the level of information and the degree of interaction expected by the future participants. The topics presented proved very interesting for the audience that engaged in vivid discussions on the role of chambers of commerce and business associations, membership development, membership recruitment campaigns, advocacy campaigns, public consultations procedures, building a legislative agenda, legislation and financial regulations. Thirty-five presidents, executive directors and staff members from 18 business associations and chambers of commerce attended the event.
The trainers have an extensive expertise in business associations, being employees or consultants for various Romanian business associations and chambers of commerce: Corina Dragomirescu (Vicepresident of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture Timisoara and consultant for the Advocacy Academy), Cornelia Rotaru (Counselor for the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania), Despina Pascal (Director of Axa International Consulting), Gabriela Hagiu (consultant for the Romanian Convention Bureau), Liliana Bolan (Partner in Quadris Consulting), Ion Anton (Director of the International Center for Entrepreneurial Studies) and Valentin Cismaru (President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Valcea).
Strong chambers of commerce that participated in the Pilot Project already expressed their interest in launching a partnership with CIPE Romania, offering their facilities for the IOM training sessions.
The need for setting up such an institution resulted from a recent survey initiated by CIPE Romania. The representatives of business associations, chambers of commerce and employers' organizations identified the limited access to training as the main obstacle in the development of their organizations. The main areas where the employees of the targeted organization would like to improve their theoretical and practical knowledge are: membership, strategic planning, the role of chambers of commerce and associations, communication and public relations, financial sustainability and advocacy. The IOM students will receive a graduation certificate on account of constant and active participation at the two training sessions of four days each, organized within a maximum two months period. Each training day will focus on one of the main topics mentioned before, with a theoretical approach on the first part, followed by discussions and practical exercises.
IOM is not only aiming at providing leaders and employees of business associations and chambers of commerce with the best international practices in organization management, but also to create a discussion forum for the problems that these organizations are confronted with. "We present to the Romanian business associations, chambers of commerce and employers associations a training program based on an increased level of interaction, not only between trainers and their audience, but also between participants. Our target audience is represented by people that are already working in the business association environment, therefore discussions and sharing experience proved very useful within the Pilot Project. IOM Romania will be the medium where participants can start planning the future of their organizations in order to serve the mission and goals that they've been created for.", Camelia Bulat, Program Director of CIPE Romania says.
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is an American organization founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1983 in the belief that economic freedom and political freedom are intertwined. Over the last 20 years, CIPE has supported more than 800 local initiatives in more than 95 developing countries to organize business associations and involve businesspeople in policy advocacy, institutional reform, and responsible governance.
Center for International Private Enterprise Romania (CIPE Romania) promotes democratic values and economic growth by providing support to business associations, employers' associations and chambers of commerce.
CIPE Romania started its activity in 2000 with a project funded by USAID with the aim to support business association development in the information technology, manufacturing, and tourism sectors. CIPE Romania also worked with multi-sector and women's associations, as they had members in each of the target sectors. Under this three-year program CIPE Romania was responsible for a number of activities including technical assistance for institutional development, support for public policy advocacy initiatives, information for targeted associations through forums, think tanks, and conferences, grants, creation of investment opportunities, and a volunteer experts program.
Between 2003 and 2004 with financial support from National Endowment for Democracy, CIPE Romania implemented a program dedicated to the creation and the development of the Coalition of Women Business Associations in Romania (CAFA) in order to assist business women in becoming an important player in the public-private dialogue.
At present, CIPE Romania is implementing a project aiming to create a network of women's business groups in the Balkan region that can actively promote a legislative agenda in order to improve both the status of women entrepreneurs and the overall business environment.
CIPE Romania is also working toward the set up of an Institute for Organization Management which will provide training for the leaders and executives of business associations and chambers of commerce.
For more information on CIPE activities, please visit the website:
www.ciperomania.org