2019 ANNUAL REPORT
We exist to empower people to transform their lives and communities through gaining high-quality business, management and entrepreneurial skills.
WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. ABE is a not-for-profit skills development organisation, specialising in business and entrepreneurship education. We combine rigorous learning content and assessment capabilities with deep knowledge and networks across emerging and frontier markets. We are headquartered in London, with teams spread throughout the Global South. ABE works collaboratively across the public, private and aid-funded sectors to fuel inclusive economic growth, social mobility and productive capacity in some of the world's most challenging environments. We are proud of our many achievements in 2019, only some of which are highlighted in this compendium. The results underline how high-quality educational interventions can lead to transformational change. We realise that solutions to complex problems don't come easily. This report shows that we fully embrace the risk of new approaches that can achieve positive change in underserved communities.
Business and entrepreneurship skills cut across every sector, they lead directly to efficiency and productivity gains, and support value creation and public sector reforms. ABE's 'global-local' approach means that we always bring local voices into the process, working closely alongside partners on the ground to deliver services with distinctly local objectives. In 2019, ABE served a widening network of educational institutions, INGOs, corporations and governments. We are particularly proud of our award-winning work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Nigeria which aims to provide a template of entrepreneurial skills for 1.2 million young people. Nigeria recently overtook India as the country with the most citizens living in extreme poverty and this intervention promises to have a significant impact, creating employment and opportunity and putting millions of people on the path to prosperity. Our work actively supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As many countries around the world seek to diversify their economic toolkit, supporting capacity building projects has been a key area of focus. High-quality business education is the essential building block for aspiring minds to facilitate and scale innovation. Innovation transforms lives. It raises incomes, provides access to health and education, introduces new systems and technologies, and improves security and civil society. ABE added considerable value to entrepreneurship policy development in 2019 through its paradigm-shifting Business Stay-Up research, raising awareness of the conditions needed for high-impact, sustainable enterprises which create wealth and jobs. We also continued to support private sector development, bringing our renowned quality assurance model to corporate training. Working with ABE, companies were able to standardise workforce competencies and set a benchmark for consistent quality, demonstrating to investors and customers that their management practices are transparent, predictable and of the highest standard.
Offering formal qualifications is still very imporant to us, but we must now add a range of complementary products and services to meet the demands of an ever-changing education landscape, and to consolidate our social mission; providing affordable, accessible and relevant business education. In 2020, we will leverage our excellent networks, creative employees and superior knowledge of frontier markets to develop value propositions across four categories; schools, TVET & tertiary education, corporates and aid-funded global skills projects. This builds on ABE's experience in these areas, highlighted in the following case studies. Our mix of services will be joined-up by a distinctive brand experience defined by our continued commitment to quality. By maximising our reach and relevance, each sector we work in will benefit from the elevated brand recognition and knowledge-transfer that we will deliver. Widening our reach exemplifies our pioneering spirit, bringing together educators, businesses, ideas, and initiatives which drive economic and social change.
Women in The Gambia face financial and educational access barriers that prevent them from participating in the economy and from improving their lives. Some social and cultural norms prevent women from travelling long distances, using public transport or interacting with men other than close relatives, posing a significant impediment to acquiring vital information about entrepreneurship and access to financial services. 70% of women in The Gambia engage in low productivity subsistence agriculture and are being excluded from educational opportunities. Working with our delivery partner Starfish International, ABE's courses and qualifications in setting up a business give young women the confidence, skills and opportunity to achieve financial independence, advocate for themselves and transform their future. We also provide a validated credential to help with access to financial services. Once students started to benefit from the ABE entrepreneurship course they began sharing with other local girls the potential of the programme and how it could also help them. With most ABE students going on to develop small businesses, this is clear proof of the positive impact the programme is having in their lives. Also, they are beginning to dream bigger when it comes to solving the socio-economic problems of their communities using business and entrepreneurship skills.
EMPOWERING GIRLS
Empowering girls to embrace entrepreneurship in The Gambia
KBZ Bank is Myanmar’s largest privately-owned bank. It improves the quality of life in Myanmar through promoting full financial inclusion. KBZ employs 18,000 staff and 40,000 authorised agents who are supporting the roll-out of the innovative KBZ Pay digital banking and payment model. KBZ recognises that developing employee skills is essential for attracting and retaining talent, as well as ensuring seamless, standardized and consistent service delivery. This is particularly important as it rolls-out new digital banking products in rural communities across Myanmar. KBZ insisted on a learning and development partner with an international reputation and perspective, which could provide constant support as they become increasingly connected to global markets. External validation of in-house training programmes through the ABE Endorsed quality assurance model made sure that staff were correctly assessed and are competent in the tasks they perform. Evaluation of the programme indicated that the ABE quality model and credential provided a clear differentiator for employees; it supported staff retention, increased engagement in professional development and generated better performance.
SETTING STANDARDS
Accrediting work-based training for KBZ Bank in Myanmar
The IMF predicts that Nigeria could become the ninth largest economy in the world by 2050, if it mobilises its 200 million population into a nation of entrepreneurs and consumers. But Nigeria’s population advantage may also be its downfall as it struggles to overcome bulging youth unemployment, unreliable power supply, poor education and severe poverty. This has led to the West African nation seeing a steady out-flow of its most promising young talent. With the resulting entrepreneurial deficit, the country is unable to develop the broad economy needed to provide employment, competition, innovation as well as insulation from the global price and demand shocks in its natural resource markets. Mass unemployment and poverty mean that many Nigerians lack the basic amenities of life and are vulnerable to crimes such as human trafficking and modern-day slavery. The UNESCO Read and Earn Federation commissioned ABE to design engaging course content in business and entrepreneurship skills that could be delivered digitally to the country's young people. We went further, providing in-country project management, local advocacy and promotion of the scheme in the UK. Combining a laser-focus on social impact objectives, with world class learning content, digital delivery and ensuring strong partner relations, this 10-year project will engage at least 1.2 million young learners and produce a generation of entrepreneurs, helping Nigeria take its place in the global economy.
CAPACITY BUILDING
Developing 1.2 million young entrepreneurs with UNESCO in Nigeria
Globally, people are becoming more empowered to start their own enterprise, but as many as 56% of small businesses fail within 5 years. Business Stay-Up is a research-led campaign to raise awareness of the pressures and challenges business owners face as they seek to survive and scale. Evaluating more than 10,500 entrepreneurial journeys from across 21 countries, our research aggregated the indicators of success and revealed the overwhelming correlation between small firm survival and business management training. Business owners who acquire business skills and engage in lifelong learning are more likely to establish successful businesses which create wealth and jobs. Too often, viable businesses fail due to poor management practices. Fewer unnecessary failures will create a more competitive business environment which will drive improvements in efficiency, innovation and productivity, benefitting society as a whole. In 2019, ABE and The Entrepreneurs Network worked together to develop practical public policy recommendations, which were launched in the UK Houses of Parliament. These policy tools included sponsoring random trials of training interventions and diffusing best practice, allowing the selfemployed to benefit from tax breaks when they fund their own management training and backing the creation of peer-to-peer networks. Our recommendations have been contextualised for policy development around the world, helping to promote entrepreneurial quality, as well as quantity.
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Sparking the campaign for Sustainable Entrepreneurship
Rwanda’s curriculum development strategy envisages that entrepreneurship education will transform the country from a subsistence agricultural economy to a knowledge-based society. Launched in 2019, ABE Endorsed KidsMBA is aimed at children aged 11-15, and provides a real-world taster of the life skills, know-how and aptitude required to run a business or become an entrepreneur. The ABE Endorsed KidsMBA course opens up the concept of self-employment and business management to young people from all walks of life. ABE provides the programme coursework, related resource, quality assurance and a globally recognised credential for learners. KidsMBA is aligned to the Rwandan curriculum and presents an excellent opportunity for students to develop an interest in entrepreneurship. Through the delivery of this course, teachers are presented with new methodology which utilises games and activities, giving teachers first-hand experience of an innovative teaching style. Our evaluation confirmed that 81% of students who took part in the Kids MBA programme at Umubano Academy said that it had inspired them to run their own business in the future. One student said “The course showed us that our voices matter. Now I know how to create the business plan that will allow my dreams to come true�.
FUTURE SKILLS
Equipping children with essential business and life skills in Rwanda
Working with a delivery partner in Guyana, the Nations School of Business and Management, we supported the implementation of a US Aid funded project for young people, pivoting around the ABE Level 2 Award in Setting Up Your Own Business qualification. The first phase of the project was delivered in Mabaruma; a remote hinterland located 237km from the capital, Georgetown. In Mabaruma, employment opportunities are limited to a few jobs in teaching and farming. This situation is further compounded because after high school there is no higher education route, leaving the significant youth population disengaged and disenfranchised. The second phase was implemented in Georgetown, a very different environment, where the local micro-business market is highly competitive, but where levels of sustainable and scalable entrepreneurship are low with many enterprises not surviving beyond an initial start-up period. ABE and Nations offered open access to the Guyanese youth regardless of their location or socio-economic background. The participants gained relevant skills in setting up their own businesses including; pricing strategies, marketing and preparing legal documentation. Graduates from Mabaruma have gone on to set up their own businesses in sectors such as hospitality and catering, textiles, boat building and commercial farming, providing sustainable employment for people in their local communities.
INCLUSIVE GROWTH
Engaging hard-to-reach communities with US Aid in Guyana
ABE was invited by the Commonwealth Secretariat to deliver a special technical innovation workshop for policy experts from across Eastern and Southern Africa. The four-day workshop focused on the role of innovation in coordinated sustainable development, encouraging better stewardship of ocean resources alongside growth in coastal economic zones. Since innovation involves partnership, knowledge-sharing and co-creation between public and private sectors, and between institutions and implementers, it is critical for Commonwealth countries to adopt a 'whole system' approach to innovation. The workshop was hosted by the Commonwealth SecretaryGeneral, Baroness Scotland, and involved the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), UN Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the Global Innovation and Technology Alliance, various regional NGOs, and ABE. ABE provided case study analysis, data review and facilitated discussion and debate to sensitise the key stakeholders and policy makers in the region on the importance of setting skills development policies which stimulate social entrepreneurship. Our workshops help to encourage commercial innovation for the improvement of human wellbeing and social equity, whilst aiming to apply business and management skills to significantly reduce environmental risks and ecological scarcities.
COALITIONS FOR CHANGE
Supporting entrepreneurship for the Blue Economy
Uni-bridge is Indonesia’s leading education consultancy group, helping local students to progress to overseas higher education institutions. Uni-bridge wanted to introduce ABE’s qualifications to colleges across the country. The challenge was in setting the standards of delivery and assessment required by a UK regulated qualifications framework. As a specialist in Technical and Vocational Education (TVET), ABE evaluated the difficulties with bringing regulated qualifications to Indonesia and provided a full support model. For instance, assignment-based assessment, where the candidate is given a timeframe to complete the paper outside the classroom, is not common and not positively perceived in the country, so we adjusted our process enabling candidates to undertake prior preparatory work and come together in an assessment centre on an ‘exam’ date to write the ABE assignment under invigilated conditions. We developed a robust QA procedure in compliance with UK regulatory guidelines for marking the assignments locally in Bahasa Indonesia, before sending them to ABE for another level of marking and moderation to ensure the integrity and reliability of the assessment process. Local delivery and assessment proved entirely successful. The roll-out of the Level 3 Digital Marketing awards through Uni-Bridge's ‘super-centre’ network will help bring UK qualifications to ASEAN's largest economy and enable young people to progress to international universities.
SOCIAL MOBILITY
Rolling-out international qualifications for university progression in Indonesia
The Berbera Maritime and Fisheries Academy (BMFA) was founded in 2012 in Somaliland’s only deep water port city and is the country’s only existing institution of higher education dedicated to maritime knowledge and development. BMFA graduates' future employers and its grant and aid donors are mainly internationally-based, and BMFA was keen to demonstrate the quality of its courses to the international community. ABE Endorsed certification of BMFA’s courses, achieved in 2019, provides the evidence. Graduates can now receive ABE certificates in Port and Shipping Management and in Maritime Transport Technology. This commitment to raising standards will help Berbera port and region to attract investment. International and local initiatives are resulting in fish being processed to a high standard leading to a healthier diet and growing the export market. Further, entrepreneurial BMFA graduates will be more able to access funding for their ventures. Through working with ABE, Somaliland’s education establishments can gain international recognition, and its graduate youth can now enjoy unprecedented access to local and international career opportunities.
SUPPORTING INDUSTRY
Providing a skills benchmark for the maritime and fisheries industry in Somaliland
ABE's income increased by 10% in 2019. Assessment bookings increased by 8% and new learner registrations on formal qualifications increased by 1% compared to the previous year.
ÂŁ2.7m
ABE's earnings from educational programmes in 2019 was received from a mix of regulated and increasingly, self-regulated provision. As an NPO, ABE's income is reinvested in the organisation.
ABE's commitment to responsible financial stewardship ensured that central services costs reduced by 30% between 2015-2019. Our cost pattern changed in 2018/19 from high expenditure on back-end systems, to value-adding expenditure on product, design, business development and marketing.
41,405
+10%
-30%
ABE provides assessments around the world. In 2019, ABE processed 41,405 regulated assignments and exams. Our assessments are delivered, moderated and marked under secure conditions, All results and certificates were issued to learners accurately and on time.
ABE was operational in 36 countries, across 4 continents. 22 of the countries we worked in are Commonwealth member states. In 2019, we established new affiliates in Colombia (ABE LATAM), Somaliland and South Africa (ABE SADC). Our digital reach also expanded in 2019; We recorded 184,502 new website users from 214 countries.
180
ABE accredited 180 education providers to deliver its courses in 2019. Becoming accredited as an ABE centre requires providers to commit to the highest standard of excellence in learning delivery and administration.
ABE provided external quality assurance for 28 programmes of study designed and delivered by third-parties. In markets where ABE is well-known for its quality and integrity, this model has helped to build confidence in local education offers.
99%
36
28
According to our 2019 learner survey, 99% of ABE graduates feel that the ABE syllabus provided the skills and knowledge essential to their career. 98% would recommend ABE to others wishing to build a career in management and 98% of learners felt more confident about progressing academically after completing their studies with us.
2019 Board of Directors
Keith Ramsay (Chair of the Board) Professor Mariane Cavalli Aidan O'Caroll Professor Virginia Gibson Martin Day William Oswald Graham Parker
ABE is a not-for-profit company registered in England and Wales No. 01096719 Global Headquarters 46/50 Coombe Road, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 4QF, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8329 2930 www.abeuk.com
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