Duration: September 2003 - September 2008
Partners: Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI)
Land O’Lakes
FFF Associates
On the Frontier (OTF Group)
Training Resources Group
Management Systems International
Institute for Research and Development
Alternatives (IDRA)
Geographical Focus: National
Description:
The Enterprise Development and Export Market Services Project promotes the competitiveness of Albanian small and medium enterprises in domestic and foreign markets, and accelerates the entry of Albanian exports into global markets. This project aims to reverse the strategic focus from supply potential to market opportunity as the driver of strategy and resource allocations, and to confront corruption as a key to unlocking latent potential and competitiveness of the Albanian economy.
It helps develop those industries and services that offer the most promise for growth and job creation by working with businesses to develop their competitive potential through:
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Improving the quality of products;
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Enhancing trade promotion and improving Albania’s ability to compete in the domestic, regional and European Union markets;
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Increasing the availability of market research;
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Reforming governmental policy; and
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Reducing corruption.
Key Accomplishments in 2006:
Herbs and Spices
Meat and Dairy Processing
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One meat processor obtained ISO 9001certification for his products. [ISO 9001 is the standard against which the Quality Management System of a business is evaluated].
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Hundreds of small dairy farmers have moved from subsistent to small-scaled commercial production.
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Meat and dairy processors have expanded their business through improving the productivity and product quality and through diversifying their production.
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USAID provided training in international food safety standards to food producing enterprises to prepare them for compliance with U.S. and E.U. standards.
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USAID supported the successful organization of the cheese fair that featured a variety of the gourmet cheeses produced in Albania and the olive oil fair that displayed the extra virgin and organic olive oil produced by Albanian processors.
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Thanks to USAID assistance, Albanians were able to ship their fresh vegetables to the United Kingdom and Serbia, their olive oil to Croatia and Switzerland, and their processed meat products to Kosovo.
Tourism
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The USAID’s Enterprise Development and Export Market Services project (EDEM) trained tour operators, travel agents, restaurants and hotels in product development, customer services, branding and application of information technology.
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The establishment of the first professional tour guide association and the improvement of the tourist guide services in Albania.
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EDEM worked with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports and the private tourism industry to organize several events for the promotion of tourism in Albania, such as the participation in international tourism trade fairs.
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Through EDEM’s arrangements, several journalists of tourist publications visited Albania and they published several positive articles in magazines and newspapers about Albania as a desirable tourist destination.
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The project launched the “Greetings from Albania” postcard campaigns, which featured the contests of postcards designed by Albanian children to show the world the tourist attractions of their country.
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Under an agreement with USAID, SOS Village International has started commercializing the “Greetings from Albania” postcard images. In addition, the Government’s Post and Telecommunication Agency has approved the creation of a 2007 postage stamp bearing a “Greetings from Albania” image.
Leather/Footwear Industry
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The first complete database of the Albanian footwear/leather goods industry was completed.
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The development of the online web portal “Albanian Leather/Footwear Industry” which is hosted by the Albanian Center for International Trade and serves as an informational and communicative marketing tool.
