2.1 Technical Assistance at the Regional Level

Three activities at the Regional Level would provide technical assistance and support actions at the national level. They are:

1. The creation of a regional training fund to be financed by donors as well as the private sector in the different African countries. This fund should aim at improving the human resource level in the different countries in order to increase the productivity of African workers and enhance the competitiveness of African economies in the global economy. Section 2.2.1., explores some of the technical assistance services that could be carried provided under these fund both at the national and regional levels.

2. The development of a small and medium enterprise development centre. It is recognized that SMEs are the most suited types of organisations for the development of the modern sector in Africa. The centre, to operate at the regional and sub-regional levels, will act as a clearing house for exchange of experiences particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. It will also provide technical assistance to national initiatives aiming at the development of this sector. Section 2.2.2., on enterprise development, deals with some of the activities to be covered by this project at the national level. It comprises interventions on direct enterprise promotion, on access to credit, and on activities to support the enhancement of the productivity in the informal economy.

3. The implementation of a Labour market information system. This programme will aim at drawing on existing data which are not fully utilized in order to provide benchmark information on labour markets as well as some indicators for their evolution. It could give guidance to, and obtain information from national technical assistance activities such as those described in Section 2.2.3.