Vientiane, November 6, 2002 — For the first time in Lao PDR, local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) will have access to training materials that enable them to easily improve business skills without having to go to a classroom. Two sets of flexible learning series "Learn about Business Management"-one in marketing management and the other in human resources management-tailored to the needs of local SMEs, were introduced to the public at a launching ceremony organized in Vientiane today.
The development of the materials was made possible by a cooperation agreement, whereby the Mekong Project Development Facility (MPDF) sponsored and coordinated the hiring of the Open Learning Agency (OLA) of Canada to develop the learning contents.
Business skills are essential not only for SMEs to get started, but also to grow in the increasingly competitive marketplace. The bigger the businesses get, the more resources get employed in operations and they need to be properly managed with specific sets of skills. In order to more rapidly bring these skills to the growing number of SMEs, MPDF has developed 12 workbooks on two topics: marketing management and human resources management.
These two series have been launched in Vietnam and Cambodia in 2001 and to date more than 47,000 copies have been sold. Another 20 titles are in preparation and will address soft skills such as selling skills, and finance management.
The materials were developed with three objectives: first, to be designed expressly for Lao consumers; second, to be flexibly used by SMEs who cannot consistently attend the fixed timing of the classroom; and third, to bring additional flexible learning products to Lao training providers. Apart from the learning workbooks, the materials also include planning workbooks, which help users to immediately turn the knowledge obtained into plans of action for their businesses.
“We believe that Lao business people will obtain knowledge directly relevant for the development of their businesses from this learning series,” said Adam Sack, MPDF’s Regional Manager for Lao PDR and Cambodia.
Jampa Publishing (Pankham Hi-Tech OA) is MPDF’s partner in the distribution of these workbooks. Jampa Publishing will use different channels such as the network of bookstores, direct marketing with businesses, and a series of sales presentations for different groups of customers.
OLA of Canada is a leading institution specialized in developing a wide variety of methods in flexible learning and distance education.
MPDF is a multi-donor initiative of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Australia, Canada, Finland, France, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The initiative was set up to support the establishment and growth of the private sectors in Vietnam, Lao PDR and Cambodia. MPDF is managed by IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. MPDF’s website is www.mpdf.org
