In most projects, whether SME development or export promotion, INTEGRATION addresses the issues of institution building and policy advice. Projects pursue an integrated and inter-disciplinary approach: in addition to providing sound technical know-how and best practice solutions, the projects implemented by INTEGRATION focus on development through trade associations, as well as capacity building and policy advice. Capacity building includes organisational development and HRD as well as skills training programmes. Policy advice formulation covers a wide range of issues - from privatisation and restructuring, to labour market, investment and trade policies.
INTEGRATION offers a set of tools to strengthen the capacities of government,
the private sector and academic institutions to formulate, analyse and
implement sound investment and development policies. We also provide access
to a range of instruments that can be used to evaluate trade and investment-related
policy options.
Most of our projects follow this integrated approach:
- Support to municipal community actions in Honduras under the EU Regional Reconstruction Programme for Central America (2001-2006): the project focuses on capacity-building and community actions to manage school, housing and sanitation services, generate employment and find solutions to environmental problems.
- Improvement of management, consultancy, training and technical capacities of six sectoral technical institutes and trade associations in Sri Lanka, 1994-2003: this includes twinning with Indian technical institutes, and commercialisation of services in preparation for the privatisation of the institutes.
- Development of inter-city and inter-institutional linkages and encouragement of cooperation initiatives for improved environmental management in China 2001-2005 (in cooperation with ICLEI, Freiburg).
- Assistance to the Ministry of Crafts and SMEs, Croatia 1992-2003 to develop small and medium export industries. Strengthening of economic associations to improve consulting services to SMEs.
- Analysis of possibilities and constraints for public-private partnerships in rural electrification in ACP countries (1999-2001): jointly with Lahmeyer. Recommendations for strategy, schemes and initiatives to associate the private sector with rural electrification programmes.
