Organization : Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program
Type of Facility : Vendor Online Registration
Country: Afghanistan
Website :https://mrrd.gov.af/
Vendor Online Registration : https://mrrd.gov.af/
Vendor Online Registration :
Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program (AREDP) :
Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Program (AREDP) is a national government-led multi-donor funded, program executed by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) that jump-start private sector growth in rural Afghanistan.
Related : Afghanistan Centeral Business Registery & IP Patent Registration : www.statusin.org/7858.html
The Program strengthens the private sector through integrated, value chain, top to bottom community knowledge based interventions, bottom to top community enterprise development by addressing credit and capital needs on all levels and in all locations.
What is the objective of AREDP?:
The main objective of the program is to increase incomes and create sustainable employment opportunities for rural men and women.
How does AREDP contribute to the National Development Strategy?:
The Strategic Intent for Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), finalized in 2010), defines the mission statement for the Ministry as:
“To alleviate poverty in rural areas by empowering communities and fostering economic and social opportunities”
Under Articles 10 and 13 of the constitution, and further objectives laid out in in the ANDs state, the government should facilitate the emergence of a strong private sector and support enterprises and industry across the country including the rural areas. MRRD, as the government’s lead institution responsible for rural development, has the central role of improving rural livelihoods, creating sustainable rural jobs and sources of income, thereby reducing poverty. In addition, it is noteworthy that there are other benchmarks which rely on strengthening livelihoods to reach their goals. These include, but are not limited to, security, governance, health, and education. In order to accomplish these goals, the Government must create policies which will stimulate development of the private enterprise sector.
How does AREDP build capacity at the community level?:
The Community-based Enterprise Development component has been designed to address failures in the market for business and financial services for rural entrepreneurs. This subcomponent will work with rural entrepreneurs to maximize their business potential by:
** Establishing Savings Groups to improve the availability of finance for rural enterprises;
** Establishing Enterprise Groups to improve market access;
** Establishing Village Savings and Loans Associations to act as a basis for linkages to MFIs;
** Improving linkages between rural enterprises and local SMEs;
** Providing training for rural enterprises; and
** Providing ongoing support to client enterprises.
How does AREDP build capacity at the SME level?:
The SME Development component has been designed to address failures in the market for business and financial services for SMEs and to improve backward linkages to rural enterprises. This subcomponent will work with SME owners and with BDS providers to strengthen SMEs by:
** Providing Business Development Services to SME owners;
** Building the capacity of local BDS providers; and
** Improving access to finance.
What is a Savings Groups (SG)?:
A Saving Group (SG) is a group of 10-20 rural men and women, who have organized themselves to meet and save a certain amount of money on weekly basis. SGs extend loans to their members during their weekly meetings. The SG members are provided with toolkits and basic training packages i.e. membership promotion, book keeping, basic accounting and internal lending, so as to enable them to use their books of records properly and to utilize their financial resources effectively to establish their own Enterprise Group.
What is an Enterprise Groups (EG)?:
An Enterprise Group (EG) is a group of 5-15 rural entrepreneurs who join together and form a group to develop their income generating activities and establish rural micro enterprises. The members of various saving groups organize themselves into Enterprise Groups, based on similar skills within their rural micro enterprises and/or value chains.
What is a Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA)?:
A Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) is a village level association, comprised of the Saving Groups in a CDC. The purpose of a VSLA is to strengthen SGs, in terms of their savings, internal lending, and maintenance of SG books and to facilitate access for SG members to larger loans.
What is a Small-Medium Enterprises (SME)?:
A Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) is any entity engaged in an economic activity to earn profit, irrespective of its legal form’. It would further mean the self-employed, family/household firms, a company, partnership firm, a startup business, co-operatives and associations regularly engaged in an economic activity to make profit, may be considered as an enterprise. It is the legitimate economic activity that is the determining factor, not the legal form.
Client:
Client refers to all target groups of services delivered by AREDP including: SGs, EGs, VSLAs, and SMEs.
Community Development Council (CDC):
A Community Development Council is a group of community members elected by the community to serve as a decision making body under the NSP Program of MRRD.
Financial Institution (FI):
Financial Institutions refers to formal financial institutions registered in Afghanistan such as MFIs, banks, credit unions, etc.
Micro Enterprise (ME):
A Micro Enterprise is a small business with a maximum of 5 employees, but may also refer to individual entrepreneurs in which case the business should have potential for taking more employment from the rural community. AREDP seeks to foster Micro Enterprises to graduate them into Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
Producer Association (PA):
A Producer Association is promoted by the AREDP through the Provincial Enterprise Facilitator. Like an EG, it is formed around a common economic activity, but may expand over several communities or even districts.
Senior Management (SM):
The peak management forum of AREDP composed of: the Executive Director (ED); Deputy ED; Program Advisor; Enabling Environment Office (EEO) Head, Monitoring and Learning Office (MLO) Head; Program Operations Head; and Program Support Services Office (PSO) Head.
AREDP Program Management Office (PMO):
The AREDP Program Management Office (PMO) in Kabul consists of a core management structure led by an Executive Director who is supported by an Executive Director Office. There are several functional departments, such as an Enabling Environment Office, Monitoring and Learning Office, Program Operations Office, and Program Support Services Office (see organizational structure on page 15). This management structure will be responsible for supervising the implementation of AREDP core activities.
AREDP Provincial Offices (POs):
AREDP Provincial Offices (POs) are based in the provincial capital. They are headed by a Provincial Manager who supervises the Business Development Officers, Provincial Enterprise Facilitators, the CED, MIS, and M&E officers, and the master trainers. These are based in the PO, but will work on a mobile basis and spend significant time in the field. In addition, the PO employs various support staff, such as a Senior Community Enterprise Development Officer, Provincial MIS Officers, Provincial Master Trainers, Provincial Administration and Finance Officer, a Provincial Office Assistant and other general staff.