Export management

In order to compete in international export markets, businesses must have access to resources that can help them improve their knowledge and their export management readiness. ITC’s Export Management Development team offer training and advisory services to businesses with the ambition to export. Trainings are available to support exporters, as well as export advisors.

Women face particular challenges in business. ITC created the ACCESS! website in order to improve the competitiveness of women engaged in international trade.

Information

Helping Women Export Services
by Dorothy Riddle, Service-Growth Consultants
International Trade Forum - Issue 4/2003

Women and Trade: What are International Organizations Doing?
by Tanya Quinn-Maguire, ITC
International Trade Forum - Issue 4/2003

Businesswomen’s networks in various parts of the world share common experiences, similar challenges and provide a venue for the exchange of ideas and contacts. The ACCESS! website has several useful links.

Advisory Services

ITC leverages its growing network of Certified Export Advisors to provide specialist technical assistance on specific export development interventions. Export consultants who have successfully completed ITC’s Certified Trade Advisory Programme become part of our network and have the opportunity to participate in national or international development assignments.

Export Coaching

Certified Export Advisers coach businesses on improving their competitiveness for successful exporting. They assist in all aspects of improving export competitiveness from the design of a successful export strategy, to improving marketing and production capabilities, to being able to conduct proficient export transactions.

Business Diagnostics

Certified Export Advisers are trained to turnaround rapid diagnostics of small businesses to determine their export readiness and operational bottlenecks. In particular, the methodology they use enables analysis of strengths and weaknesses across strategy, production and marketing issues.

Depending on the particular development project, ITC can mobilize our national advisors to generate rapid, low-cost diagnoses of business clusters to feed a wider sector upgrade strategy. Local institutions or other donor agencies seeking qualified advisors can also benefit from the solid methodology provided to CTAP alumni.

Training

The Export Management and Development team offers professional training programmes to strengthen the strategic, managerial and technical skills of export professionals. The comprehensive catalogue of modules covers the key aspects of small business export management. Trainings are designed for business professionals – entrepreneurs, managers, consultants, institutional staff – involved in providing export support services to small businesses in developing countries.

Training programmes for exporters are offered via local institutional partners who work with export professionals locally. ITC delivers training materials, training-of-trainers sessions, and a host of online resources and tools.

Training materials can be customized to different sectors and audiences, including micro-communities, gender and youth. Training toolkits are designed to enable local trainers to deliver practical professional development programmes to exporters.

ACCESS! - Export Development Programme for Women Exporters

Women face particular challenges in business. The ACCESS! website has been designed to improve the competitiveness of women engaged in international trade. The programmeaddresses the specific needs of businesswomen with support services including training, mentorship, business counselling, product and market development advice, business networking and trade intelligence solutions.

Programme Structure

The programme consists of 30 modules covering key aspects of small business export management.

Training modules:

1	International Trade Environment	Export Strategy
2	Are You Ready to Export?
3	Global Value Chain
4	Business Strategy for Exports
5	Market Research
6	Building an Export Business Plan
7	Building Production Capabilities	Export Capabilities
8	Export Packaging
9	Export Quality Management
10	Distributing Your Products
11	Communicating on Your Products
12	Raising Customer Interest	Export Transactions
13	Incoterms
14	Costing and Pricing
15	Communication and Negotiation Skills
16	Contracting and Legal Aspects
17	Export Documentation
18	International Transportation
19	Export Financing and Payment	Resource Management
20	Cash Flow Management
21	Intellectual Property
22	Information and Communication Technologies
23	Making Resource Decisions
A	Exporting Horticultural Products	Sector Addenda
B	Exporting Handicrafts and Textiles
C	Exporting Coffee
D	Exporting Hides, Skins and Leather
E	Exporting Your Services
X	Women, Gender and Business	Extra Modules
Y	Environmental Impact
Q	Business Counselling Guide	Modules for institutions and instructors
XT	Gender Issues for Instructors
Z	Programme Management and RBM

Delivery

Training workshops introduce participants to the basic knowledge they need to do business in international markets. They are available in a variety of formats, such as:

Intensive 5-day programme
Half-day or full-day workshops
Individual modules a la carte

Participants can take either introductory level or more in-depth courses over several training sessions. Trainings are delivered through certified partner institutions by a network of instructors and counsellors.

For more details about the modules, please visit the Training section of the ACCESS! website.

Networks

ITC and its partners have trained hundreds of SME managers to use the Business Management System. It is recognized that to achieve sustainable development objectives it is essential to nurture, empower and mobilize networks of local business support institutions. ITC partners with various types of organizations and business development service providers, including private consultancies, trade support institutions, training centres, technical institutes, universities and NGOs. These can be sector-specific or cross-cutting. A key focus is the active management of this global network to continue providing high-quality business development services to end beneficiaries.

For more information on how to join ITC’s network of Export Management Development partners, please contact us.

Projects

ITC is currently providing technical assistance and support for the following Export Management Development related projects.

RAF/20/132A - ACCESS II - Export training course for African women in international trade
RAF/20/133B - ACCESS II - Business Counselling for women entrepreneurs
RAB/20/132A - Enhancement of Arab capacity for trade (EnACT) - Algeria
RAB/20/135A - Enhancement of Arab capacity for trade (EnACT) - Morocco
RAB/20/136A - Enhancement of Arab capacity for trade (EnACT) - Tunisia

For more information please contact us.