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CURRENT PROJECTS CURRENT PROJECTS Russia Cleaner Production Program http://www.ifc.org/rcpp 2008 – present Supported with funds from the Free State of Saxony (Germany), the Netherlands’ Agency for International Business and Cooperation (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs) , the Ministry of Employment and the Economy of Finland, and IFC FMTAAS The Russia Cleaner Production Program (RCPP) is designed to stimulate investment in cleaner production projects and promote cleaner production best practices and policies in Russia. The program helps to advance the economic and environmental performance of Russian industry. Enterprises will improve resource efficiency and lower costs, thus enhancing their profitability. By implementing cleaner production technologies and best practices, they will also reduce wastage, prevent pollution and help offset climate change.  More...Russia Banking Advisory Project http://www.ifc.org/rbap 2007 – present Supported with funds from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands The project works with medium-sized Russian banks to improve their internal control and risk management systems, reflecting the rapid development of the banking sector in terms of volume and complexity of business.The project will also conduct a series of public seminars on risk management and controls and disseminate information for the banking sector to increase its overall reach and impact. The project will leverage the work, visibility and resources of the Russia Banking Corporate Governance Project (2004-2007), funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO). More...Russia Primary Mortgage Market Development Project www.ifc.org/russia_mortgage 2005 – present Supported with funds from the Government of the Netherlands, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO), and IFC The project aims to develop and strengthen the primary mortgage market in Russia in such a way as to enable expansion of the secondary mortgage market, thereby deepening and broadening Russia’s financial markets. The project focuses on three objectives: improving the legislative environment, building the mortgage industry and developing the capacity of partner banks, and increasing outreach to potential borrowers. More...Russia Sustainable Energy Finance Program www.ifc.org/russia/energyefficiency 2005 - present Supported with funds from Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Free State of Saxony, the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility, and IFC’s Sustainable Financial Markets Facility The component of the project based in the Volga region is supported by the Free State of Saxony The Russia Sustainable Energy Finance Program works across Russia to encourage investments in energy efficiency projects. The project helps financial institutions and companies to assess modernization projects, and provides long-term credit to banks to enable energy efficiency loans. By participating in public information campaigns, the project also works to raise general awareness about the need for greater energy efficiency in Russia. More...A Chance to Work http://www.achancetowork.org/ 2003- present Supported with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and IFC “A Chance to Work” is an international program that gives disadvantaged people an opportunity to improve their lives in the communities where IFC and its private sector partners operate. The program provides six months of paid work and on-the-job training in skills the private sector demands, after which participants enter the job market. Program’s success in Washington, DC, promoted its further development over the world – program started in Russia, Peru and Egypt. For the time being the “A Chance to Work” has helped hundreds of people to become the equal part of the community and get stable in life. The project helps orphanage graduates to obtain self-sufficiency, to adapt to the present-day life; works to ameliorate certain stereotypes surrounding orphans, reduce the social tension in Russia, and to promote corporate social responsibility of Russian business society. IFC has established a coordination office in order to implement and develop sustainable model of the ACW program, for its further expansion into the regions of the Russian Federation. Since 2003 the program successfully operates in Moscow, in 2007 the program started its activity in Nizhniy Tagil (the Urals), and is currently expanding to Petrozavodsk and St. Petersburg. Russia Far East Business Development Project 2002 - present Supported with funds from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) The project works to extend the developmental impact of a joint IFC/Canadian investment to the local community of the Russia’s far Northeast (Magadan region). The project helps small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to overcome basic but critical barriers to their development, including weak business management skills, limited access to market information, poor access to financing, and lack of customer focus.  More...
The Russian Far East faces important development challenges given its remoteness, relative overpopulation in some areas, and, particularly in the case of Magadan region, harsh winter conditions that limit economic development opportunities to mining and fishing. Poor transportation routes and an eight-hour time difference separate cities such as Magadan from Moscow, exacerbating the region’s remoteness from the rest of Russia and increasing the difficulties for local enterprises to access financing, improve production techniques and find markets. However, the presence of large foreign investments in the mineral-rich region provide an opportunity to develop the local mining supply chain and help extend the impact of foreign-owned mines to the greater community.
The project works across a wide scope of activities to help build the capacity of local businesses in Magadan oblast. It works with local SMEs in the mining supply chain, to help improve quality and business practices to link them to larger mining companies. The project also provides consultations to entrepreneurs outside the direct mining supply chain, helping them to develop better management skills and efficiency. To improve the living standards of the large indigenous population in Magadan, the project helps the native population develop and market their crafts as sustaining businesses. The Russia Far East Business Development Project also helps to improve the overall environment for doing business in the region. It works with banks to introduce alternative financing products, to increase access to financing for SMEs. It engages the local government through focus groups and surveys, to reduce administrative barriers to doing business by raising government awareness of the issues. And the project educates the public about the importance of the private sector through mass media appearances and advertising, such as a monthly “Women in Business” television series. Achievements to Date as of July 1, 2008 | SITE TOOLS  
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