BMO Capacity Building

Advisory Services to Business Membership Organizations (BMOs):

World over, the role of BMOs as key actors to influence policy making, create a better business environment and facilitate selected services to companies is well acknowledged. While the business sectors and interests that BMOs represent may differ, the organisational challenges that they face are not.

At ATEAS, we build the capacity of BMOs through a range of tailored advice and training services designed to help you become an effective and efficient BMO that offers value to its members.

Our services include:

ATEAS shall publish from 2019 a Quarterly Newletter – The Model BMO™, Best Practice Guide for Associations which shall complement our capacity building for BMOs by sharing practical experience drawn from all across the world, on what works best in overall BMO management.

Our Experience in supporting BMOs

Our expertise in capacity building to BMOs is based on practical experience gained from running a BMO as well as technical and advisory support to them. Below we detail some examples:

• Between July 2016- December 2017: ATEAS was engaged as a Technical Advisor on Regional Integration, Policy and Advocacy by the East African Business Council. Key among the achievements include:
  • Provided technical support to EABC on various regional integration issues, including the following:
  • Worked with EABC Members to develop a private sector position on the on- going review of the EAC Standardisation, Quality assurance, Metrology and Testing (SQMT Act 2006) and the proposed Standardisation, Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (SACA) bill. This also included a regional public-private Workshop in August 2016 which I chaired.
  • Worked with EABC members to develop a private sector position on harmonisation of domestic tax regimes in relation to goods and services
  • Represented EABC at the Tripartite Business Council meeting which brought private sector from COMESA, EAC and SADC. I chaired the meeting that developed a position paper on movement of business people.
  • Provided support to EABC’s policy advocacy agenda, including preparation of various technical papers for presentation to EAC policy makers; supporting various PPDs, etc
  • Organised the Regional Anti-Illicit Trade Conference that developed various action points for the region to address counterfeits and other forms of IPR violations and illicit trade.
  • 2oth Anniversary Celebrations
• From March 2008 to September 2012, our Managing Director was employed by a BMO – the East African Business Council, which is the apex association for the business community in the EAC. Initially working as the Membership and Communications Manager, Agatha was able to increase EABC membership by more than 200% as well as put in place various advocacy campaigns and member services. As the Executive Director from 2010 to 2012, Agatha was able to restructure the organization, turning it round from debt; strengthened relationships with members, policy makers and development partners, as well as enhanced representation of private sector interests through various advocacy platforms.
• From February 2015 to May 2016, our Projects Officer worked with EABC as a Policy Assistant. Under this role, she was involved in developing various policy positions for presentation to the policy makers. She also organized and participated in various PPDs.
• From August 2011 to December 2013 and again from October 2015 to June 2016, our Senior Associate Consultant William was the Director, Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) and the National Projects Coordinator for the Strengthening Advcacy and Regional Trade (START) project, both at the Private Sector Federation Rwanda (PSFR).  Under these projects and others, William was involved in evidence based advocacy for regional Integration, common market compliance, removal of NTBs and capacity building. He also supported PSFR in strategic planning and resource mobilization.