WITH THE FINANCIAL
SUPPORT OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION
SME Policy Index 2012
Update for the South East Europe Investment Committee
RCC Headquarters
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
25 April 2012
Introduction: new features of the SME Policy Index 2012
• Third regional assessment of SME policy across the Western
Balkans after 2007 and 2009;
• Addition of Turkey to the group of assessed economies;
• Transfer to the European Small Business Act from the
European Charter for Small Enterprises and elaboration of a
new assessment grid;
• Company survey to better gauge the implementation of
policy areas.
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Objectives of the Framework
• To measure Enterprise Policy Development using the European Small
Business Act framework, on the basis of inputs from government,
private sector and SME policy experts;
• To allow a comparative independent evaluation of progress on policy
implementation on the same set of policy dimensions included in the
Small Business Act, across the SEE countries and with reference to
good practices;
• To support SEE countries in setting targets on SME Policy
Development that are measurable, comparable, relevant and
consistent with the Small Business Act policy framework;
• To promote exchange of experiences and cross country policy
evaluation among the SEE countries and the donor countries.
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Approach
The SME Policy Index Methodology
SME Policy Index Dimensions – The ten Policy
Principles of the SBA
1. Create an environment in which entrepreneurs and
family businesses can thrive and entrepreneurship
is rewarded
2. Ensure that honest entrepreneurs who have faced
bankruptcy quickly get a second chance
3. Design rules according to the “Think Small First”
principle
4. Make public administrations responsive to SMEs’
needs
5. Adapt public policy tools to SME needs: facilitate
SMEs’ participation in public procurement and
better use State Aid possibilities for SMEs
6. Facilitate SMEs’ access to finance and develop a
legal and business environment supportive to
timely payments in commercial transactions
7. Help SMEs to benefit more from the opportunities
offered by the Single Market
8. Promote the upgrading of skills in SMEs and all
forms of innovation
9. Enable SMEs to turn environmental challenges into
opportunities
10.Encourage and support SMEs to benefit from the
growth of markets
Process
The
SME Policy Index Evaluation Process
Gathering information for evaluation will follow a specific process
OECD/EC/ETF
Evaluation
Government Selfevaluation
•
•
•
Desk Research
Local Consultant Research: interviews with local experts, input from private sector
organisations.
Entrepreneur and Private Sector Perceptions - focus groups and surveys.
•
•
Governments perform self-evaluations.
Set priorities for the next period.
•
•
Government, EC, OECD, ETF, experts, private sector and SME representatives conduct
policy dialogue based on the OECD/EC/ETF evaluation, government self-evaluation and list
of priorities.
Finalisation of list of priorities.
•
Synthesis of all inputs and Regional Report launching
Bilateral Meetings
Final
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OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Overall results
• Incremental progress throughout the region in areas, which recorded
good progress in 2009 (e.g. Regulatory Reform, Company Registration)
• Regression due to financial crisis (Access to Finance) and due to
restructuring of government bodies and agencies (Institutional
Framework)
• Top performers: Turkey, Croatia, and Serbia
• Intermediary level of policy development: Albania, FYR Macedonia, and
Montenegro
• Policy framework still in development phase: Bosnia and Herzegovina
and Kosovo*
• Most overall progress achieved since 2009: Serbia
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ
Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
SBA Principle 3 “Think Small First” (2)
Sub-dimension:
Institutional Framework
5
4
3
2
1
0
ALB
BIH
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OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
HRV
KOS
MKD
MNE
SRB
TUR
SBA Principle 3 “Think Small First” (3)
Institutional Framework – main findings
-
Overall the institutional structure is comparatively well established in the
region. Turkey, Croatia and Serbia scored particularly high.
-
SME definition is consistent in legislation and employment size complies with
EU SME definition in Croatia, Turkey, FYR Macedonia and Albania.
-
SME policy making body and executive agency most advanced in Turkey
(KOSGEB) and Serbia (NARD); Albania’s new SME agency (AIDA) replaced
AlbInvest in 2011. BIH has yet to strengthen the capacity of the state agencies
and improve coordination between the entities.
-
Implementation of the SME development strategy with clear targets and
budget allocation in Turkey, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro.
-
Measures to tackle the informal economy have been best implemented by
Albania and Croatia.
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Next Steps
• Finalisation of first draft of SME Policy index
2012: April
• Internal and External Review Process: May –
June
• Preparation for publication: June – September
• Publication and launch at EU SME Week:
October
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
WITH THE FINANCIAL
SUPPORT OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION
Western Balkans Regional Competitiveness Initiative
Update for the South East Europe Investment Committee
RCC Headquarters
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
25 April 2012
Western Balkans Regional Competitiveness Initiative
Objectives
•Support medium and long-term competitiveness
•Provide capacity building support via pilot projects
•Transfer lessons learned through regional working groups
Focus Areas
Greater time and staff commitment
• Human capital development – address major skills gaps
• Innovation – Strengthen innovative capacities of the private sector
Duration: 2010-2013
Beneficiaries: Seven Western Balkan economies
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
11
RCI Timeline
2010
2011
2012
Experts’ workshop
on innovation and
human capital
issues
Pilot projects in:
Pilot projects in:
•Bosnia and
Herzegovina
•FYR Macedonia
•Montenegro
•Serbia
•Albania
•Croatia
•Kosovo*
Best practice papers
on innovation
policies and skills
gaps
Review of domestic
and donor actions
5 Roundtables for
project selection
1st RCI Steering
Committee
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OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Working Group on
Greater
and staff commitment
Humantime
Capital
Working Groups on
Innovation and
Human Capital
Working Group on
Innovation
2 Roundtables for
project selection
3rd RCI Steering
Committee
2nd RCI Steering
Committee
* This designation is without prejudice
to positions on status, and is in line
with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion
on the Kosovo Declaration of
Independence
12
Impact of 2011 Pilot projects
Montenegro
Serbia
Voucher schemes for SMEs
Design of a Competence Technology Centre
Improved understanding of benefits and limitations
of a voucher scheme
Understanding of innovative activities of MNE firms
Scheme designed according to company needs
Government committed funds to implement pilot
scale voucher scheme
Improved understanding of models and operations
of Competence Centres and Technology Centres
Assessment of business and research needs in agrofood sector and biomedicine sector
Use of focus groups to supplement surveys and
obtain clearer picture of how businesses and
researchers could collaborate under a CTC
Bosnia and Herzegovina
‘Triple Helix’ partnerships between science,
business and local government in agri-food
sector
Established Triple Helix network of 250 participants
Best practice from OECD and transition countries
Study trip in Flanders to get first hand experience
Generated 24 proposals from BiH consortia
Implementing three projects: « Omega » egg;
refining of field peas and development of an organic
disinfectant;
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OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
“Omega” egg being launched in the market
FYR Macedonia
Development of a national innovation policy
National innovation system review identified
strengths and weaknesses
Survey and focus groups to understand company
needs
Innovation forum organised to involve wide
stakeholder base
Strategy drafted for 2013-2020
Action Plan drafted for 2013-2015, with the
appropriate evaluation and monitoring13tool
Innovation is part of Government Programme
Impact of 2011 Pilot projects – Stimulating social dialogue between
government, industry , and researchers
Montenegro
Serbia
Voucher schemes for SMEs
Over 150 businesses participated in a
survey to assess SME innovation needs.
Launch event in Nov 2012 brought
together over 60 representatives from
government, business, and academia.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
‘Triple Helix’ partnerships
Over 350 businesses and researchers
participated in surveys, workshops and
seminars organised as part of the triple
helix project.
24 consortia formed which submitted
proposals for innovation partnerships;
three of those have been helped during
implementation and many more continue
implementation in parallel
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
Design of a Competence Technology Centre
Over 300 businesses and researchers in agrofood and biomedicine contributed to surveys
and focus group meetings.
FYR Macedonia
National innovation policy
Over 500 firms and researchers participated in
surveys and focus groups to develop an
innovation strategy.
An innovation forum was organised which
brought together over 100 representatives of
government, business and research.
14
2012 Pilot projects
Albania - Business plan competition
•
•
•
Support for young enterprises and start-ups
Improve capability of entrepreneurs to develop business ideas
Improve investment readiness of entrepreneurs
Croatia - Innovation strategy
•
•
•
•
Full OECD Review of innovation policy executed in parallel
Surveys of businesses and research institutions
Methods to measure innovation performance
Development of a whole-of-government strategy
Kosovo* - Innovation strategy
•
•
•
Assessment of innovation system
Surveys of businesses and research institutions
Development of a whole-of-government strategy
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
and the
Opinion
15
OFICJ
THE EUROPEAN
UNION on the Kosovo declaration of independence
RCI Working Groups
Working Group on Human Capital Development
•
•
•
•
Spilt, Croatia (8 June 2011) and OECD headquarters (20-21 March 2012)
First meeting reviewed sector specific and horizontal approaches to close skills
gaps
Second meeting was a training event which raised awareness on how to conduct
skills gap analysis, skills planning using foresight techniques, and policy
responses. The group discussed what capacities are needed to implement skills
gap analysis, and reviewed data requirements
Follow up meeting in autumn 2012 will review whether capacities are in place
for a skills gaps analysis across the Western Balkans.
Working Group on Innovation
•
•
•
•
Split, Croatia (9 June 2011)
Lessons learned with implementation of pilot projects.
Discussed elements to be included in SEE 2020 Vision
Next meeting planned for 21-22 June 2012 at OECD headquarters
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OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
16
From RCI to the Next Generation Competitiveness Project
How will the results of RCI be used to advance the NGC Project?
RCI Steering Committee to be used as the Steering Committee for NGC . A
consensus emerged on this point at the last RCI Steering Committee meeting on 13
December 2012 in Sarajevo at the RCC.
Structure of RCI Working Groups on Innovation and Human Capital Development
will be used to develop the industry specific working groups.
Methodology for pilot projects in RCI (e.g., mixed teams of beneficiary
representatives and OECD officials) will be used to implement pilot projects in NGC.
RCI revealed interest for industry specific work in the agro-food sector (pilot
projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia). Other sectors could include textile
production, wood processing, ICT, automotive, energy, or services like tourism.
NGC could try to implement some of the projects from RCI in a cross-border fashion
in one specific industry. For example, regional triple helix partnerships between
multiple beneficiaries or regional competence centres in specific sectors.
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
17
Thank you for your attention
Jakob Fexer
Policy Analyst
Milan Konopek
Project Manager - Regional Competitiveness Initiative
OECD Investment Compact for South East Europe
Private Sector Development Division
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Milan.konopek@oecd.org
www.investmentcompact.org
WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION