Economic Growth & Labour Markets
Altai Consulting has developed winning strategies for numerous large-scale Private Sector Development (PSD) programs in Africa, the Middle East, and Central & South Asia. Our teams have been involved in most aspects of PSD: value chain analyses, business plan development, capacity building & skills development, and Public Private Partnerships (PPPs). We also conduct large-scale enterprise surveys to collect feedback from private sector stakeholders and identify the main constraints holding emerging markets’ economies behind.
A Rapid Assessment of the Post-revolution Labour Market – The World Bank
Altai Consulting was mandated by the World Bank to conduct a rapid assessment of the Libyan labor market in the context of the post-revolution reconstruction phase. The research project was based on a set of case studies to profile potential job seekers, as well as some companies in the most dynamic sectors of the Libyan economy. It led to the identification of a broad spectrum of opportunities for the Libyan government and international partners to support short and long term developments in the Libyan labor market, including laws and regulations, labor migration policies, programme activities and partnerships with local and international stakeholders.
Unlocking the Power of Digital Economy in KRI – DRC
Altai was commissioned by DRC to assess the current use and the opportunities offered by digital technologies for existing and new businesses in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).
Altai conducted fieldwork interviews with around 30 actors of the sector (e-commerce, digital marketing, deliver & shipping application, etc.) and several focus group discussions with students and jobseekers in the sector (hosts, Syrian refugees and IDPs, men and women). Using the information gathered and triangulating it with available econometric data, Altai presented to DRC a complete market study with estimates of the size of this sector, its potential growth and the number jobs it currently offers and could create in the near future. The study explored in detail the skills needed by employers, and compared them to the skills mastered by the students and job-seekers. Another component of the study was the decision-making process for digitisation, among mainstream businesses such as supermarkets.
The study concluded with recommendations around 6 specific training courses to develop in order to train the future workforce for the jobs that are being created in the digital economy. This study is published online.
Altai is currently engaged in the Phase 2 of this project, which consists in developing the training materials on these 6 modules, and organising Training of Trainers (ToTs) for the teachers of the TVET centers of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the KRI.
Enterprise Survey in Tunisia – MCC
Tunisia was selected by MCC to develop a five-year grant programme known as Compact. As part of this mechanism, ground research and analyses are performed highlighting several binding constraints, including an unfavourable business climate, under which investors and businesses face excessive bureaucratic requirements, restricted entry and exit into many activities, burdensome and unclear customs and tax procedures and an un-level playing field against competitors. The objectives of the project were to build solid evidence on the dynamics behind unfavourable business climate in Tunisia by interviewing a representative sample of 1,500 Tunisian private enterprises, more specifically by collecting firms’ experience with different aspects of the business environment related to customs procedures, authorisations, transport and logistics, perceptions of transparency, fairness in treatment by government agencies, etc. In addition, the work investigated firm’s practices with regard to hiring and promoting women and the perceived costs and benefits of doing so. The output of the survey has been used to develop appropriate programmes to improve the business climate in Tunisia.
Definition of a Promotional Strategy to Boost Exports in Western Africa
Altai Consulting has developed a promotional strategy for a government of a large North African country to boost exports in Western Africa. Six priority sectors and value chains have been covered including the agro-industry, textile and leather, automobile, electricity, ICT & off-shoring, and pharmaceuticals with a focus on countries of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA).
Resource Growth Corridor Strategy, Skills Development Strategy Mining and Oil & Gas Industry in Afghanistan – The World Bank
Altai Consulting has been contracted by the World Bank to analyse the supply and demand for skills needed by large upcoming mining and oil & gas investments in Afghanistan to design a strategy to build local capacity and boost local employment in the medium and in the longer term.
Investment Climate Facility and Survey – FCDO and USAID
Altai Consulting has partnered with Coffee International and ASI for the design and kick-off phase of the Afghanistan Investment Climate Facility, an initiative funded by FCDO and USAID. The AICF was designed to identify, support and fund initiatives addressing roadblocks to private sector development, in a variety of fields including access to finance, policies & regulations, infrastructures, skills, and corruption.
As a first step in the support of the AICF, Altai coordinated the Investment Climate Survey that was co-funded by FCDO and the World Bank and conducted with a panel of 1,000 small, medium and large enterprises around Afghanistan.
SME Development in 13 Economic Sectors in Central Asia – USAID
For a large USAID-funded SME development programme, Altai Consulting has conducted value chain analyses in the Central Asia region (Ex-CIS, Turkey, Iran, Mongolia) and has designed strategies for Afghan and foreign investors in 13 sectors of the Afghan economy, targeting both exports and the domestic market. Following this project, numerous investments have taken place and projects have been launched by Afghan entrepreneurs as well as foreign players.