Developing Entrepreneurial Women (DEW)

Building female entrepreneurial skills for small to medium enterprises (sme) in ASEAN countries

The aim of this AusAID funded program is to develop and launch locally tailored training programs for ASEAN women in SME's to develop their entrepreneurial and business skills. The program consists of two sub-projects in;

• Vietnam, in partnership with University of Economics & Business Vietnam National University (UEB-VNU). Dr Richard Seymour will be managing this project with UEB-VNU staff. 
• Cambodia, in partnership with University of Battambang, (UBB).  Our colleagues in the Marketing Department, Dr Marylouise Caldwell and Prof Paul Henry, will be managing the project in Cambodia with UBB.

A brief profile of our regional partners is below:

Objectives

The ASEAN DEW Program aims to achieve the following four key outcomes:

• Strengthen the entrepreneurial capabilities and business skills of local women in Cambodia and Vietnam who complete the program to initiate and build successful SME's in their respective country. This will increase their opportunity for permanent employment which in turn will reduce inequality and facilitate inclusive economic growth.
• Strengthened educational capability of UBB and UEB-VNU in business and entrepreneurship. At the end of the Activity both counterpart organisations will have the legacy of an ongoing and sustainable teaching program in entrepreneurship that is staffed by locally trained teachers.
• Build a local research focus that would complement teaching and outreach programs already existing at UBB and UEB-VNU, thereby advancing their ability to develop both teaching and outreach insights that would inform education as well as practice.
• Build productive networks within country (between industry, government and educators).

Support and Funding

AusAID is supporting the initiative with a $240,000 grant, from June 2011 to 2013.

Key Events and Activities, Vietnam

The Vietnam project took full affect in June 2011 with the start of the AusAID grant. It was decided a train-the-trainer program would have the greatest impact both in reach and sustainability. Vietnam has a number of professional bodies, associations and unions already engaged with local women running micro to small-medium enterprises. The training program will equip these trainers with the knowledge and skills in business and entrepreneurial thinking to include in their training delivery.
Progress throughout 2011 can be attributed to the key activities and events outlined below.

Overview of the Train-the-Trainer Course

A coherent and pragmatic train-the-trainer program is being established through the collaborative efforts of both The University of Sydney and UEB-VNU staff, and input from key stakeholders. UEB-VNU will deliver the course to female trainers who are already engaged in capacity building with Vietnam's women entrepreneurs, and micro to small-medium enterprise owners. An overview is provided below.

Train-the-Trainer Course Teaching Schedule

Number of trainers expected to complete the training program

Funding from AusAID provides scholarships for 100 female trainers to complete the train-the-trainer teaching program.

Local training partners/ organizations

• Hanoi Business Association
• 8/3 Career Training Center of The Hai Duong - Vietnam Women Union
• Central Women's School - Vietnam Women Union

Future Developments

In 2011 the DEW Program's network of participants expanded, and new initiatives emerged. Below is an overview of our intended activities for 2012 and beyond.

Case studies for teaching and research

Over the next year case studies capturing female entrepreneurs in micro and small to medium enterprise will be collected, providing a cross section of activity in the ASEAN region. These case studies will form teaching materials for the train-the-trainer program, and be published as a book for broader stakeholder access. Preparing the case studies will also act as a research training exercise for early career researchers in the ASEAN region. The University of Sydney faculty and students will be working with IIMB India, UEB-VNU Vietnam, UBB Cambodia, and other regional academic institutions to develop sound research methodologies and build local research capacity.

First Student Cohort

In March 2012, the first cohort of female trainers will enroll and complete the train-the-trainer course delivered by UEB-VNU. There will be a review and refinement of the course, involving input from The University of Sydney, UEB-VNU, the Advisory Council, and the students before the second cohort in May 2012.

Evaluation

Continual evaluation and monitoring of the DEW Program will occur on both a macro program level (networks, promotion, partnerships with training organisations, administration, course structure) and micro course level (quality of teaching curriculum, materials, and assessments). This will require collaborative input from UEB-VNU, The University of Sydney, the Advisory Council, the local training partners, and alumni students.

Beyond the DEW Program

The activities, materials and skills being developed under the AusAID funded DEW Program need support from wider teaching, research and outreach initiatives to be sustainable. Viable teaching initiatives include student and faculty exchanges across the region, and entrepreneurial units of study at both a masters and undergraduate level. Joint research projects, annual regional workshops, and multiple PhD students would foster research expertise in entrepreneurship. To enrich the teaching and research activities, UEB-VNU also intends to develop outreach activities both faculty and student led, including business competitions, and incubators.

The vision is for a long term partnership between UEB-VNU and The University of Sydney as part of a wider regional network. Entrepreneurship Development Network Asia (EDNA) has been established to encourage collaboration amongst its members to develop best practice in entrepreneurial training, and share lessons learnt with the wider community.