Africa Regional Network: Objectives, Activities, Milestones and Resources

AFRICA REGIONAL NETWORK: OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, MILESTONES AND RESOURCES

Objective / Suggested key activities to make this happen / Suggested milestones and measures of success / Who should be involved? / How much? (Estimate) / By when?
1. Utilize a web site with a knowledge repository of shared tools and practices. / 1.1. Publish draft web site
1. 2. Email to advise all network of website
1.3. Complete data sheet for each incubator/member
online
1.4. Identify other partners in country (government, academic, NGO etc)
1.5. Share incubator management tools
1.6. Share communication tools
1.7. Provide content for incubation knowledge repository
1.8. Sub regional advisory team for website management / Web site on-line
Email sent
Incubator/member data on line
Each incubator member identifies at least 2 others who submit data sheet
Tools online and in use
Tools online and in use
Each incubator submits 2 articles/templates etc that are of value to others
Monthly web team meeting / Leon Lourens
Steve Giddings
All
All
Leon Lourens
Leon Lourens
All
Web team / Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Minor (e-costs) / 1 Dec 06
17 Nov 06
5 Dec 06
End Dec 06
End Nov06
End Nov06
End Dec 06
Monthly
2. Create awareness of incubation and the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship activity with stakeholders such as governments, education institutions and the finance and private sectors.
Advocate the network. / 2.1. Understand country stakeholders, policy and regulatory environments and advocate for improvements to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
2.2. Launch of an Africa Incubator Day (AID)with press releases, government support, incubator open days etc
2.3. Engage donor community via infoDev for advocacy and funding approaches in each country (donor working group)
2.4. Using linkages submit one or morecountry/sub region or region proposal that will support incubation/SME development
2.5. Engage regional economic stakeholder groups COMESA; ECOWAS; SADC; Development Banks; African Union to advocate for incubation to be included as an integral and necessary tool for economic development / Development and submission of a guideline/checklist indicating key issues for capture
Completion of checklist by members of each country and upload to website
Date determined and agreed by members
Promotional material developed (French/English)
Launch discussed with key stakeholders in each country and support gathered
Events in all participating countries
Identify donor focus in each country/region and post to website
Develop linkages with infoDev facilitation as needed. Post activities to web site
Submission of at least three proposals to donors
High level meetings with each body; commitments and integration of incubation community into committees etc; news articles and web postings / DonathOlomi
All
All with sub-region facilitators
All with sub-region facilitators
Each country grouping
All with sub-region facilitators
All with sub-region facilitators
Country representatives
Country and sub-regional facilitators
Sub-regional facilitators with country representatives and infoDev/WB facilitation / Nil
Nil
Nil
US$5000 for development and materials
Nil
Local sponsorships
Nil
Nil
US$5000 for preparation time
US$ 5000 for travel/accommodation / End Nov06 draft
Final Dec 06
Completed End Feb07
Mid Dec 06
Mar 07
Mar 07
On agreed date
Feb 07
Feb 07 and ongoing
Apr 07
Initiation in Jan 07 and completion by May 07
3. Develop and disseminate promotional material, the activities of network members and country stories (recognize success). / 3.1. Source materials for development of promotional material; website content etc
3.2. Newsletter to share articles, upcoming activities and events etc from incubators and incubatees
3.3. Develop a simple yet effective brochure that sets out what the Africa Network is doing and which can be used by all to leverage support
3.4 Encourage use of media to promote our activities
3.5Six month review of network activities to promote benefit of incubation
3.6a. infoDev video case studies secured and demonstrated to key decision makers to show impact.
3.6b. Identification of new material for video capture / Each country incubator identifies one person to share news with network.
One input on web per incubator
“Membership fee” of two articlesby Jun 07 per incubator
Brochure designed, accepted, printed and distributed
One media article on incubation per countryby Jun 07
Short report drawn from submitted material
highlighting successes
infoDev material secured and shown to key stakeholders in each country
List of potential video scenes identified
Videos completed and distributed / One person from each incubator
Each incubator
Each incubator with editor
Sub regional facilitators with professional service providers
Each group of country incubators
Sub regional editorial teams
infoDev with network
Sub-regional facilitators with country representatives
infoDev, sub-regional facilitators with country representatives / Nil
Nil
Nil
US$ 5000 for materials
Nil
$5000 for printing/dissemination
infoDev
infoDev
infoDev / 5 Dec 06
End Dec 06
Ongoing
Design by Jan 07/Dissemination by Feb 07
Jun 07
Jun 07
Jan 07
End Dec 07
Jan-Jun
07
4. Build the network to ensure sustainability
Network membership in two categories –
* Core - incubators and their staff
* Associates - any individual, government and organization supporting SME development / 4.1. Develop draft Memorandum to guide further development of the Africa Network
4.2. Core members pay first year “membership fee” which is the submission of two tools/case studies/ articles etc that would be valuable to other practitioners.
Associate members “pay” first year membership fee by registering and providing details of their interests and focus
4.3. Formation of informal/formal country networks for sharing of knowledge between incubators in countries
4.4. Network proposal to funders / Draft document developed and distributed for comment with sub-regional agreement at workshops.
Finalised document.
Presence of a knowledge repository of tools, articles, studies etc.
Associate members register
Incubators in countries with more than one incubator, work together to develop incubation potential
Network submits a proposal for continued support of the network to funders / Sub-regional facilitators with country representatives
All
All
Associate members
All incubators in each country
Regional facilitator with infoDev / Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil
Nil / Mar 07
Jun 07
Mar 07
Ongoing
Jun 07
Apr 07
5. Build capacity for incubator practitioners.
(include training, exchanges, experience, twinning and sharing programs / 5.1. Sourceand/or develop a general training programme for incubator professionals in Africa
5.2. Share information and training opportunities with others that is already planned under existing training under grants
5.3. Share on-line training resourcesusing iDISC
5.4. Arrange internships and encourage sub-regional study visits that include:
*incubator to incubator visits
*business school to incubator visits
These activities to be arranged and funded by individual members concerned
5.5. Create and encourage a “buddy” system to allow sharing of information, problem solving and formation of stronger personal relationships
5.6. Handbook on good practice in African incubation / Sub-regional facilitators prepare a draft training programme and identify resources to develop and present material
infoDev grantees and others make their training programmes available to others and participation evident
infoDev grantees and others make available training resources on iDISC
Internships and study visits occurring with knowledge sharing and outcomes adding value
List of buddies published on website. Feedback from buddies on approaches, issues shared and value
Development of a handbook that guides African practitioners on practices that have yielded benefits in Africa / Sub-regional facilitators
All to consider and post invitations
All
All
All
Regional facilitator with contributors / US$ 15000 for development and presentation at 3 sub-regional workshops
As per incubator requirement
Nil
As determined by participants
Nil
Sponsorship to be sought / Jun 07
Jun 07
Jan 07 onwards
Dec 06 onwards
Dec 06 onwards
Jun 07
6. Support regional workshops. / 6.1. Hold three-day sub-regional workshops in East, Southern and West Africa after identifying key stakeholders (Objective 2) and requesting countries to bid for hosting rights. Workshops to focus on capacity building, relationship building and advocacy
6.2. Leverage infoDev support to attract donor and government funding
6.3. Develop concept for an All-Africa Incubation Conference / Country nominations received and sub-regional workshops held with stated aims met
Donor and government support in place to fund sub-regional workshops
Proposal developed / All
Regional facilitator with infoDev
Sub-regional facilitators and sub-region members / US$ 50000+country contributions
Nil
Nil / All by May 2007
Jan 07 to Mar 07
Jun 07

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