Building high-quality training capability in emerging markets – IFC

A customer success story from IFC, a member of the World Bank Group

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) play a central role in the creation of dynamic and inclusive economies. They are indispensable channels for the delivery of goods and services to the poor in developing countries.

Despite their vital role in economic development, most MSMEs face impediments to maintaining and growing their businesses. Many cite a lack of business skills as one of their key challenges. In 2000, IFC responded to that challenge by developing a capacity-building program to teach MSMEs necessary business and technical skills. Over the next two decades, IFC trained over 170,000 individual entrepreneurs. Keeping pace with global economy demands, IFC developed a second-generation capacity-building offering in 2018, with a focus on training others to educate MSMEs. These performance and learning professionals – trainers, facilitators, and coaches – ensure that MSMEs in emerging markets can acquire relevant job skills. However, their offerings were often fragmented and underdeveloped. They required significant improvement to expand their reach and create more impact…