Assistance in Building Afghanistan by Developing Enterprises Program Year Two Work Plan Fiscal Year 2014

The program is led by Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) in partnership with the International Executive Service Corps (IESC). The program's primary objective is to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and improve the business enabling environment in Afghanistan. The program's technical approach focuses on three key components: Public Private Alliances, Technical Assistance and Business Advisory Services, and Business Enabling Environment. Component 1, Public Private Alliances, aims to establish alliances between SMEs and private sector stakeholders to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Task 1.1, Implement SME and Innovation Alliances, involves the establishment of alliances between SMEs and private sector stakeholders to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Component 2, Technical Assistance and Business Advisory Services, provides technical assistance and business advisory services to SMEs and program stakeholders. Task 2.1, Develop SME and Innovation Alliances, involves the development of alliances between SMEs and private sector stakeholders to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Task 2.2, Technical Assistance for Sub-Award Recipients and Program Stakeholders, provides technical assistance to sub-award recipients and program stakeholders. Task 2.3, Demand-Driven Technical Assistance Objective, involves providing technical assistance to SMEs and program stakeholders based on their needs. Task 2.4, Gender Issues, Women and Youth in Business, focuses on promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in business. Task 2.5, BDS Capacity Building, involves building the capacity of business development services providers. Component 3, Business Enabling Environment, aims to improve the business enabling environment in Afghanistan. Task 3.1, Support to Implementation of MOCI’s SME Strategy and Action Plans, involves supporting the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MOCI) in implementing its SME strategy and action plans. Task 3.2, Development of Additional Action Plans, involves developing additional action plans to support the development of SMEs. Task 3.3, Mobilize and Support Private Sector Stakeholders to Identify and Remove LRA Barriers, involves mobilizing and supporting private sector stakeholders to identify and remove legal and regulatory barriers to business. Task 3.4, Institutional support to AISA for developing investment, involves providing institutional support to the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) for developing investment opportunities. The program's gender highlights focus on promoting gender equality and women's empowerment in business. The program aims to increase the participation of women in business and improve their access to markets and finance. The program's public outreach and communications strategy involves targeting various audiences, including SMEs, private sector stakeholders, and government officials. The program's reporting deliverables include quarterly and annual reports, which provide updates on the program's progress and achievements. The program's management structure involves a management team, which is responsible for overseeing the program's implementation. The program's schedule of authorities outlines the roles and responsibilities of the program's staff and partners. The program's procurement and recruitment processes involve the use of competitive bidding and selection procedures to ensure transparency and fairness. The program's contracts and compliance procedures involve the use of standard contracts and compliance procedures to ensure that the program's activities are implemented in accordance with USAID's regulations and policies.