The Business Development Services Conference 2005: Shaping Jordan's Industry with International Best Practices held the last week in April in Amman ushered a new era in the industry in Jordan, which is expected to see a transformation in the way these services are provided and a stronger spirit of cooperation among the parties involved.
The two-day conference provided a forum for participants to benefit from a wealth of international expertise and comprehensive training on global BDS standards, tools and guidelines. In addition, they applied these international lessons to the Jordanian context.
A participant in the conference, Jamal Badran, chairman of Jordan Society for Quality, said the conference was an opportunity for local BDS providers like his organization to be updated on the best practices in the field at a time the industry in Jordan needs to take steps forward to improve its performance and compete at the regional and international level.
He said, "The conference brought along several new things that did make a difference. Most importantly, the meeting was able to move the industry from theory to practice through the training offered and paved the way for a new vision in the sector to crystallize."
Badran added that the conference was an opportunity for participants to network with their peers in the industry.
He said that he hoped that the conference would be the first step to reorganize the BDS industry in Jordan to meet the needs of the Jordanian market "taking into consideration the unique characteristics of this market."
Conference participant Rima Al Qaisi, executive officer at the National Linkages Program (NLP), said the conference was particularly a success in that it offered an in-depth analysis of the BDS situation in Jordan and was able to pinpoint the needs of clients and how best to meet them, as well as how to remove obstacles facing the industry. She said BDS providers now have a clearer vision on how to improve their products and enhance competitiveness.
A key speaker in the conference, Kent R. Ford, who has more than 25 years of professional experience in more than 45 countries, said that SMEs are key to economic growth, unemployment and poverty alleviation.
"Given that the private sector has been the greatest creator of wealth in the history of the world and has had the greatest impact on reducing poverty and considering that SMEs are key to a healthy private sector, Jordan would be well advised to continue its focus on SME development," said Ford.
Ford agreed that Jordan has made remarkable achievements in the BDS sector and is on the right track.
He said the Women's Access to Entrepreneurship Development and Training program (WAEDAT) is an outstanding example of what BDS can do in Jordan. "I think it is one that should be emulated in other countries in the region and other parts of the world."
The international expert added he has confidence in Jordanian BDS providers to carry on with their mission, noting that he sensed a clear vision among local BDS providers during the conference.
Ford and other international experts cited the following shortcomings in the local BDS market: inconsistent quality, a limited range of services, and lack of focus or specialization. They also pointed to the fact that the small Jordanian market lacks a vehicle to help access regional markets.
To address these issues, Jordan's BDS providers drafted a summary report at the end of the conference. In it, they addressed the realities of the industry and set guidelines for action that practitioners and stakeholders can take to realize the proposed vision for change.
The industry, the report states, needs to establish quality standards, develop certification, benefit from consultants, and expand marketing channels. In addition, it needs to establish an independent body to oversee accountability and respond to clients' complaints.
They also looked into ways to offer BDS in a commercial way that is likely to enhance quality, cost effectiveness and sustainability. The findings also urged BDS providers to become demand-driven rather than supply-driven, and cited a role for governments and donors to assist through planning and monitoring.
Finally, these findings, they said, constitute major step towards reshaping the BDS industry in Jordan, develop SMEs, create more economic opportunities for Jordanians and contribute to sustainable growth of the national economy.
The conference was funded by USAID and organized by the USAID-funded AMIR Program in collaboration with the newly established Business Development Services Center (BDSC).
