We are delighted to announce that an international consortium led by Human Dynamics has been awarded a contract by the European Commission to provide technical expertise and assistance to the Ethiopian Government to support Ethiopia in its economic transition: Technical Assistance to Support to the Implementation of the Transformation Triggering Facility (TTF). The consortium includes Human Dynamics (lead), Fondazione CUOA, Business Enterprise Support Limited, Formaper and Fondazioni Giacomo Brodolini. The project will run for 48 months.
The TTF is an innovative tool developed by the Ethiopian Government to leverage opportunities, close gaps in value chains and grasp nascent opportunities, etc., all with the overall objective of advancing sustainable development objectives. TTF seeks to accelerate Ethiopia’s economic transformation, and through this attain economic growth, skill development and employment creation in the manufacturing sector and contribute to the country’s goal to achieve middle-income status by 2020-23. The provision of technical assistance is an integral part of the TTF.
TTF is comprehensive. Its implementation will provide targeted interventions at macro, meso and micro levels to build capacities to improve competitiveness and productivity and stimulate investment: macro level — building capacities in the key front-line institutions to manage the economic transformation; meso level — supporting and empowering public and private entities to provide better services, improving the business and investment opportunities of SMEs and creating a cluster of companies through strengthening business linkages; and micro level — increasing competitiveness through facilitating knowledge transfer, innovation and by improving business and technical skills.
TTF includes 4 main components: (1) Small and medium enterprises and markets development; (2) Business skill enhancement and the fostering of innovation; (3) Hubs development; (4) Capacity building and policy fine-tuning for all intervention areas.
In close partnership with Ethiopia's Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED), Ministry of Industry (MoI), Ministry of Trade (MoT), Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Health (MoH), Addis Ababa University (AAU), Ethiopian Airlines, Addis Ababa Airport Enterprise (AAAE), chambers and associations, we will work to support:
We will provide technical assistance through capacity development measures and technical and administrative support across four strategic industries: agri-processing, pharmaceuticals, leather and leather products (including chemicals as part of the leather value chain), and textiles and clothing.
We will also provide expertise in capacity building for TTF project management and coordination (including visibility) in coherence with EDF procedures; support to capacity building activities; area expertise per each Component; support to course design and delivery, events and study tours; project management and programme management of multiple parallel projects in the design and implementation of PEs for the four components of TTF.
Not least, we will help establish a Regional Competitiveness Hub as a cornerstone of economic transformation and a repository of best practices, knowledge and resources in innovation and economic growth.
This is a tremendous opportunity for the Human Dynamics Consortium to be directly involved in the economic transformation of Ethiopia to become a middle income country within six years.
This comprehensive programme with its focus on four key industries, aided by two critical economic hubs (Aviation and Medical), supported by a business school and innovation centre, and bolstered by a Programme Estimate budget of EUR 30 million has all the key success factors to realise this ambition. The goal is also aided by following the East Asian Model of economic transformation with its emphasis on high value exports in key strategic industries, import substitution and expansion of tertiary education, research and innovation coupled with techniques like Kaizen.
Our consortium is also leveraging on our expertise in competitiveness by proposing the setting up of a Regional Competitiveness Hub – competitiveness being key to economic transformation and sustainability. To attract the best ideas, resources and critical mass, a regional approach which takes into account the context and perspectives of the region will be critical.
We believe Ethiopia has all the right elements in place and we are pleased to be joining forces with the Government of Ethiopia and the front-line ministries in achieving this objective.
— Gregory Whye, Business Development Manager, Human Dynamics