by Irene Wijaya | Jul 27, 2022 | MSME & private sector engagement, Technical Reports, Uncategorized
Micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are the backbone of ASEAN economies and thus critical for post-COVID-19 recovery and future socio economic resilience. MSMEs account for over 97% of all firms, 85% of the labour force, about 45% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and between 10% and 30% of the total exports of ASEAN economies. However, MSMEs face significant challenges that hinder their development and, in some cases, their survival. They face barriers accessing finance, attracting talent, reaching markets and innovating, among other areas. Because of these constraints on resources and capacity, they tend to be more vulnerable to crises and disasters. The regional guidelines “enhancing the resilience of MSMEs to crises and disasters” provide a foundational framework for ASEAN policy-makers to build the resilience of MSMEs. The guidelines provide information on how the relevant agencies in ASEAN Member States can identify resources, determine roles and responsibilities, establish coordination mechanisms and include disaster risk management in existing or new policies and regulations. Click image or link to download: Enhancing the Resilience of MSMEs to Crises and Disasters: Regional Guidelines for ASEAN Governments [PDF, 4,000 kb] Related project: Development of Regional Guidelines on MSMEs Crisis and Disaster...
by Irene Wijaya | Nov 11, 2020 | Uncategorized
Last updated: 9 December 2020 GENERAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE FOLLOWING CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Assessment on Agricultural Techniques and Technologies to Mitigate the Potential Negative Effects of Climate Change in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV Countries) Assessment on Nutrition Surveillance and Mechanisms to Reduce Malnutrition in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV Countries) Assessment on Strengthening Public Health Security to Prevent Infectious Disease through the Adoption of Digital Technology in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam (CLMV Countries) Assessment of Smallholder Farmers’ Productivity and Access to Markets in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam Assessment on the Adoption of Digital Technology by MSMEs in CLMV Countries and Integration of CLMV MSMEs into Global Value Chain Question: What is the scope of the study – national, meso (provincial/District)? Answer: While the study looks at status and progress in relevant sectors at the national and CLMV level, it is recognized that meso-level data (or sample of data) may be required. The consultant is free suggest the most strategic level of data collection and analysis, based on his/her knowledge, experiences and consultation in the respective countries. Question: Is the consultant expected to travel to Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam? Answer: Not at this moment due to the widespread travel restrictions across the region due to the pandemic. Only when travel restrictions are relaxed, the consultant would be allowed to travel. Ideally, the consultant should have existing networks/ associates in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Viet Nam to facilitate consultation and data collection. Question: Are the number of days, as a whole or per component/...
by Irene Wijaya | Jun 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
Last updated: 18 June 2020 No Questions have been received at this point.
by Irene Wijaya | Apr 16, 2019 | Uncategorized
Status: Tendering. The OECD estimated the Southeast Asian nations’ combined gross domestic product (GDP) to continue to grow by 5.2% between 2019 and 2023 . ASEAN needs efficient logistics services to enable this growth and enhance its competitiveness. Trends such as e-commerce, urbanisation, and companies shifting their supply chains are accelerating demands for these services even further. An efficient region-wide logistics services network is needed to facilitate flow of goods, services and related information between producers, or from producers to consumers, anywhere in the region. Seamless logistics therefore has been a consistent priority for ASEAN since the last decade, and efforts have been made to reduce time and costs of transport and boost cross-border trade. Significant progress, such as the ASEAN Single Window (ASW) and work under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), have strengthen ASEAN’s logistics environment. Nevertheless, a number of challenges remain. The logistics sector in itself is complex, involving diverse stakeholders ranging from various government agencies to the private sector. Due to differences in countries’ stage of development with varying geographical characteristics, the trade structure and composition, each ASEAN Member States (AMS) has different priorities in facilitating trade and implementing the requisite infrastructure development and policy reforms for an efficient regional logistics services network. One way to help address the above challenges, specifically in identifying common priorities and promoting coherence, is assessing logistics services development needs based on regional trade routes and priority product groupings/commodities that would provide cross-border benefits across multiple AMS. Once trade routes and commodities are identified, detailed logistics information surrounding them should be collected and analysed to identify bottlenecks and prioritise...
by Irene Wijaya | Sep 13, 2017 | Monitoring & Evaluation, Technical Reports, Uncategorized
This publication aims to further increase awareness of key issues and drivers of global megatrends, and draw out their relevance and implications for the ASEAN integration agenda. It focuses on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and, more specifically, how the AEC may be impacted by and can respond to megatrends. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) enters its second year of establishment in a changing world, partly driven by global megatrends. The transformative changes brought about by global megatrends do not happen overnight, but are rapid enough to warrant prompt anticipation. The AEC Blueprint 2025 is envisioned to create a more dynamic and resilient ASEAN, capable of responding and adjusting to emerging challenges, including from global megatrends. In this new phase of economic integration, the AEC needs to be responsive in its policy processes. ASEAN and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) have responded to changes in the wider region and at the global level. ASEAN, especially the AEC, will continue to respond to the global megatrends; the common themes and phenomena that are already unfolding, whose implications are broad, cross-cutting, profound and transformative, and would change the way individuals, businesses and societies live and do business for many years to come. Given the lasting impact of global megatrends, it is important for any community, including the AEC, to learn to adapt to, address and — to the extent possible — capitalise on them. Among the megatrends discussed in this book are: The political megatrends, specifically (i) geopolitics and security, (ii) geo-economics and the international liberal order, and (iii) national politics and the resurgence of populism. Technologies and the digital economy The interlinkages between...
by Irene Wijaya | Jul 3, 2017 | Projects, Services, Uncategorized
Status : Completed. The ASEAN Tourism Ministers (ATM) signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA-TP) on 9 November 2012 aiming at facilitating the mobility of tourism professionals within the region. In 2010, the ATM endorsed the MRA-TP Follow-up Implementation Requirements 2010-2015 covering the plan to establish MRA infrastructure and capacity development for members of related organisations under MRA-TP at the regional and national level. Several projects and activities were carried out under this Plan, including, among others, establishment of 242 toolboxes for all divisions under MRA-TP, establishment of pool master trainers and master assessors, the conclusion of Regional Secretariat of MRA-TP agreement, and finalization of the ASEAN Tourism Professionals Registration System (ATPRS). With most of the necessary regional infrastructure is in place, implementation of MRA-TP is now facing new challenges in operationalizing the instrument. Supporting Regional Secretariat of MRA-TP, maintaining and updating regional infrastructure, increasing the “buy-in” of MRA-TP, enhancing quality assurance of MRA-TP and recognition of prior learning mechanism are among those challenges faced at the regional level. While, at national level, challenges are also faced particularly on national regulations, establishment of national trainers and assessors, and certification mechanisms. There is a need to assess the progress of implementation to date and systematically identify these challenges, identify risks and opportunities, and develop a well-informed, results-oriented work plan that will guide the ASEAN Tourism Professional Monitoring Committee (ATPMC) in taking strategic actions to promote implementation of the MRA-TP. This project had two outputs: a) the ASEAN MRA-TP implementation review, which assessed current progress in the implementation of the MRA-TP, tested assumptions, captured relevant context, identified risks (magnitude...
