From left: Mr Gabriel Bargechir, Manager of ICE; Dr Ruth Kiraka, Dean of ICE; and Eng. John Mosonik, Secretary of Industrialization at the launch of SEDC

SEDC's primary objective is to help owner managers of SMEs develop competencies to effectively manage the growth of their ventures. "The Centre is envisaged to be a "one-stop-shop" for entrepreneurs that will provide comprehensive services that they need to support growth, development and innovation," said Dr Ruth Kiraka, the Dean of ICE.

This will be done through a six-month modular Certificate in Entrepreneurial Management; business counseling, networking meetings, business diagnostics, mentoring, exhibitions and corporate retreats. The centre will also have a resource centre with contact information of other SMEs, information relating to taxation, a Kenyan SME toolkit which provides details on how to set up a small business and other useful information for the successful running of an enterprise.

The certificate course will use locally developed case studies, and a highly participant-centred learning methodology. It will focus on: Managing business operations; Business law and taxation; Developing an effective marketing strategy; Financial management; Managing human resources; Business planning; Strategies for business growth; Using information technology for competitive advantage; Delivering excellent customer service and Risk management. Customised courses will also be offered as requested by entrepreneurs.

"The course is not academic and there will be no exam at the end of the course. The success of the course will be measured by the success of those go through it," Dr Kiraka said. The establishment of the Centre is consistent with the University's vision: to become a leading outcome driven entrepreneurial university offering world class and accessible high quality education.

Any business with less than 100 employees qualifies to be a SME, Dr Kiraka said. The launch was a culmination of months of discussions and interaction with entrepreneurs and other partners on the need to establish a Centre for Enterprise Development at Strathmore University. In the past three years, the University, with support of the World Bank has been involved in a project that seeks to enhance business education in institutions of higher learning.

The project known as the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Competitiveness Project, managed under what was formally the Ministry of Trade and Industry aimed to develop the capacity of Kenyan business schools to offer business education. This was by writing local case studies and integrating them into the curriculum to increase effectiveness, relevance and practical application of the training available to business students and entrepreneurs. The project also aimed to develop the teaching capabilities of the business teacher with particular focus on participant-centered learning.

The project provided the University with an opportunity to engage with micro, small and medium enterprises through case study development and teaching. A total of 38 case studies on MSMEs were developed between January 2005 and December 2007 and used to train MSMEs (albeit in a rather fragmented and unsystematic way). A series of successful short workshops for MSMEs were held in 2006 and 2007 in which over 2000 entrepreneurs were trained. This interaction with MSMEs gave the faculty at the university the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the sector and also be responsive to the needs of MSMEs.

The use of locally developed case studies to train MSMEs owner managers in the various short courses revealed the following:

1. The need to use locally developed cases to teach business education to entrepreneurs cannot be overemphasised. There was strong feedback on their relevance and practical application, as well as being able to identify with the issues in the case studies. This made the training both interesting and beneficial, and left participants asking for more;
2. There was need for systematic structured training for entrepreneurs. Many of them said they had attended several ad hoc training sessions that had been offered by different players and therefore lacked coherence and some were not very practical. They requested for more systematic and progressive training;
3. There was need for on-going support to MSMEs beyond the training. They needed on-going business counselling, consulting services, networking meetings, exhibitions, access to business information etc. Requests to offer such services were received;
4. There was need for business research to support and inform entrepreneurial ventures. Many entrepreneurs start business based on a "hunch" or "gut-feeling" that they will be successful. Whereas it is important to have some level of confidence of success, such decisions need to be informed by market research and data, a factor that is consistently lacking in the current MSME business environment.

It is against this background, and with technical and financial support from the International Finance Corporation that the Strathmore Enterprise Development Centre has come to be.

Speeches

Minister's Speech

Vice Chancellor's Speech

ICE Dean's Speech

Manu Chandaria's Speech

See also: http://bankelele.blogspot.com/2008/05/business-briefs-may-24.html