From 2004 to 2013, SEGURA Consulting implemented the Regional Competitiveness Initiative (RCI), which aimed to support economic growth in post-transition countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. As RCI began, the Western Balkans were just a few years removed from protracted ethnic conflict and beset by political instability and flagging economies. By encouraging regional linkages at the industry and sector levels, these countries could better access both intra-regional and global markets. In supporting the USAID Bureau for Europe & Eurasia and its Missions across multiple phases of RCI, SEGURA helped to improve competitiveness, bring together regional stakeholders and implementers, and fill critical gaps in bilateral programming.
RCI interventions worked simultaneously to address competitiveness at all levels, including direct work with MSMEs, support to industry-based clusters or associations, and efforts to improve the business enabling environment through national and regional stakeholders. In focusing on three key sectors – agribusiness, ICT, and tourism – RCI created regional communities of practice, bringing together private sector representatives, public sector officials, USAID implementers, and other donors. Across sectors, RCI worked to identify and overcome non-tariff trade barriers, provide training in key standards and certifications, and support the development and training for entrepreneurs (including female entrepreneurs and startups).
Below is a sample of sector initiatives.
Information Communications Technology (ICT): RCI brought together the leading ICT companies in the region to develop and improve their offerings, streamline processes to increase productivity, and work together on joint projects for outsourcing and e-Government tenders at the regional and international levels.
Agribusiness: RCI helped MSMEs increase production and sales of agricultural products, identify and pursue opportunities for exports in existing and new target markets, expand operations, and increase incomes for farmers, agribusinesses, and related market participants.
Tourism: RCI convened stakeholders from across the Western Balkans to establish a regional tourism network and the Western Balkans Sustainable Tourism Council, and expanded marketing and promotion of the region through National Geographic and other publications.
In addition, RCI worked to increase opportunities for regional investment promotion and foreign direct investment by enabling firms and entrepreneurs to better identify and seek out both traditional financing and non-bank investments like venture capital, angel, and start-up funding.
RCI Case Study: Postharvest Management Training
RCI Case Study: Tourism
RCI Success Stories: Improves IT Competitiveness
RCI Success Stories: Western Balkans Supplement
Client:
USAID/Europe & Eurasia
Years:
2004-2013
Technical Areas:
Competitiveness;
Trade and Investment
Region:
Europe & Eurasia
Location:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine
RCI Legacy Websites
Western Balkans Online Mapguide: an integrated tool that promotes the region as a single destination
Quality2IT: a platform for the regional capacity in IT Training and Certification.
IT2Business: a catalogue for cross sector links between ICT solution developers and companies from other economic sectors.