Project assistance completion report : technical assistance to business, cooperative agreement no. 519-0302

The project was implemented by the International Executive Service Corps (IESC). IESC provided TA to 41 private enterprises, compared with a target of 50. The shortfall was due to difficulty recruiting volunteers to come to El Salvador because of the country"s political unrest. However, IESC worked to overcome this problem by adding 15 recruiters and providing potential volunteers with positive references from returning executives. Various types of assistance were provided, including recommendations for improving production schedules, quality control, and training methods; assistance in reducing production costs; evaluation of existing production facilities to identify other products that could be manufactured; and establishment of contacts with U.S. suppliers and clients. Accomplishments include the following: 9 firms increased export capacity, 115 jobs were generated, 10 firms increased productivity 10%-20%, and 9 firms increased productivity 21%-35%. A key lesson is the importance of providing specific services to meet specific TA needs. IESC was able to provide the right experts for specific jobs.