Designing and Implementing Conducive Policies for MSME Development

Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises are the ones that struggle the most when the enabling environment is not designed in a way that takes into account their specific needs and aspirations. A complex enabling environment, in fact, generates additional costs for MSMEs, who have to spend time and resources to comply with it, which reduces their ability to invest, grow, and create more and better jobs. Thus, designing and implementing policies that support the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) is a fundamental way to contribute to the decent work agenda. This course builds on the ILO’s experience to provide an overview of global best practices in policy support for MSME development. The course covers topics such as applying labour law and preferential tax regimes to MSMEs, simplifying the business environment, improving access to finance and non-financial business development service programmes, favouring innovation in MSMEs, and how to design programmes to improve productivity, working conditions, and linkages to value chains for small businesses. Particular attention is given to ways of involving different actors (governments, development partners, workers, and the private sector) in the design and implementation of policies and programmes to foster small enterprise development. OBJECTIVES • Develop a clear understanding of how the enabling environment affects an enterprise’s ability to grow and create more and better jobs • Acquired technical tools to analyse the enabling environment from the point of view of MSMEs and their contribution to decent work • Been exposed to best practices and case studies on business environment reform • Learned how different stakeholders, such as Governments, Employer’s and Worker’s organizations can best be involved in a policy reform process CONTENT Module 1 Session 1 – Welcome and on-boarding Assignment 1 – Discussion around why policies are key for the development of MSMEs Study Guide 1 – Enabling Environment Foundations Module 2 Session 2 – MSME Policies and the Decent Work Agenda Session 3 – Analysing the Business Environment Assignment 2 – Identify issues in your Country’s Enabling Environment Study Guide 2 – Support programmes for MSMEs Module 3 Session 4 – Starting a Business: Simplifying Registration Procedures Session 5 – Running a Business: Linking SME Policies to Decent Work Assignment 3 – Reflect of policy Options Study Guide 3 – The Governance of MSME Policies Module 4 Session 6 – Social Dialogue and Tripartism in the SME Policy Cycle Session 7 – Monitoring of SME Policy and Results Assignment 4 – Governance system for MSME Reform NUMBER OF HOURS: 20