On December 3 and 4, the third two-day training module for leaders of membership business associations took place at the Kyiv-Mohyla Business School as part of the second phase of the UNDP Project "Strengthening Membership Business Associations of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Ukraine" in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and supported by Switzerland. This project aims to accelerate the development of the MSME sector by strengthening the capacity of membership business associations (BAs).

The training began with a lecture by Olena Sapozhkova on advocacy and governance of BAs. "Governance is about creating rules, making some directional choices," noted Olena. "Advocacy is an activity aimed at representing and protecting the interests of specific social groups by organizing influence on the formation and implementation of state (public) policy."

The expert spoke about what is known as good governance and emphasized that today there are 12 mandatory principles that form it: fair elections, responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, openness and transparency, rule of law, ethical behavior, competence, innovation, sustainability, professional financial management, human rights, and accountability.

"The ability to raise funds is a talent, but some say it's a craft," addressed the audience Veronika Verba, a lecturer at kmbs. Together with the expert during the lecture on the financial aspects of functioning and developing BAs, participants discussed possible sources of funding, resources for BA development, budgeting principles, as well as the gender impact on the financing and functioning of business associations.

The second day of the training module for business association leaders at kmbs began with a lecture by Eduard Maltsev on business association management. "What does management mean to you?" asked the audience Eduard Maltsev, deputy dean of kmbs, initiating an active discussion. Management system, strategy and situation, goals and tools, culture of responsibility, rules, resilience — participants responded.

"Management is a complex concept that involves finding a way to move forward together. It should touch all related components (people in organizations)," proposed Eduard Maltsev. "And then, considering situational stories, maintain how we move towards what we agreed upon." Participants immediately applied the knowledge gained in practice and worked in teams on understanding the role of BAs (mission, as a purpose), its needs, and the values it creates.

Participants also had the opportunity to talk with Amelie Leclerc, a representative of BPW Europe in the WeGate project, which supports women entrepreneurs. "Our organization is primarily engaged in lobbying. Secondly, we support members in developing their own careers or businesses, avoiding gender inequality," said Amelie. "We advocate for feminism. However, for us, this concept is interpreted as equality in responsibilities and competencies."

"Marketing is about the values that underpin it and about how to gather participants," emphasized Olena Maltseva during her lecture on strategic marketing of BAs. She stressed that marketing is not about "selling," but about "finding a client." Because in business, as in life, what matters is how people feel around you. Together with the audience, they discussed what the purpose of BAs is, what the offer should be, and how to effectively deliver this offer and achieve the organization's goals.

At the end of the first and second training days, business association leaders were invited to two open evening events as part of the Ukrainian-Swiss UNDP Project. On December 3, Vita Dumanska, leader of the CHESNO Movement and participant of Executive MBA-36, visited the school as part of the "My Business — My Country" lecture series. "Recognition should not just be media-based," emphasized Vita Dumanska. "It should convert into influence, meaning having a mission and vision."

On Saturday, December 4, project participants had the opportunity to talk with Lyudmyla Zubko, an entrepreneur and deputy of the Zhytomyr City Council, as part of the "State and Business" evening lecture series. The entrepreneur shared her own experience in implementing social and cultural initiatives at the intersection of Business-State-Community, such as "Safe Business," "Safe School," "Music Camp International," and others. She also discussed the role of business in developing and preserving cultural heritage and why it is important.

"Start building small groups within your organizations that will make people stay," urged the audience Lyudmyla Zubko. "People want to receive energy, and for this, they need to talk about their roots. Only a shared palette of values will help you build a strategy."

On December 6, the second sub-module "Business Development Services" for business association representatives was also held at kmbs as part of the online component of the training program. Overall, more than fifty participants joined the program. Participants had the opportunity to listen to lectures on governance, management, marketing, and financial aspects of the functioning and development of BAs.

"I really enjoy studying here. The key point is a lot of insights that can be practically applied," shared his impressions Vasyl Masyuk, a participant of the UNDP Project. "It's not just bare theory, but methods of implementation, a certain toolkit."

So we wish our participants to expand this toolkit and strengthen their own business organizations!

Strengthening Membership Business Associations of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Ukraine: