How The DBSP Sets Up Its Operation In A New Area, & Our Licensing Arrangement

How The Project Is Started In New Areas

In South Africa, the programmes are currently being conducted, when funds permit, in Gauteng, and in rural communities in North West, Free State, Limpopo, Northern Cape, and in KwaZulu Natal Provinces. It is planned to expand the Project to all Provinces in South Africa.

The DBSP is also in the process of expanding into Africa. Thus far we have successfully set up the DBSP to run in Kenya, where it is doing well.

The programmes are self contained and, because the use of technology is kept to a minimum, they are highly portable, thus can be run anywhere.

The process of introducing the project to a new area starts with an area survey and the identification of a community based organisation/s involved in economic and/or community development. A relationship is built and a strategic partnership entered into. One DBSP programme is then run in the area. A suitable person from the community, who attends this programme, is identified and trained as a DBSP Trainer/ Facilitator. This training process takes two to three months, depending on the individual's past experience, education and abilities. The trainee works under the Train-the-Trainer Facilitator and learns by direct involvement on at least two regular DBSP Programmes. He/she takes on more and more of the training and facilitating role and receives constant feedback and mentoring from the Trainer-of-Trainers. Training also includes elements of learner recruitment, programme management and ongoing graduate aftercare and support.

Once the trainee has gained the required level of competence & confidence, he/she is formally assessed by the DBSP and once found competent, receives a certificate and a licence to train DBSP interventions in their area / community. In order to maintain standards, each Trainer/ Facilitator is annually assessed.

Because the Trainer/Facilitators are drawn from their own community, they are able to stay in contact with programme graduates and do follow-up work.

Once the Trainer/Facilitator has been trained, the DBSP is launched in that area and is run through the community-based organisation with whom we have built a strategic partnership. This is to make sure that an integrated approach to the delivery of the programme within an area is maintained and also to coordinate fund raising activities for that area.

The Area Survey

Before we train in an area, it is vital for us to know that there is enough economic activity in the area in order to support new businesses that are started. This is especially important if we are going to be training a trainer, then we will have to ascertain that there is enough entrepreneurial activity to support at least the start up of 60 new businesses per year. The survey consists of a site visit to the area/community in which the training is proposed and the following information is collected:

1. The demographics of the area. Should we be able to get the latest statistics on the area, so much the better. These figures would include what people of the area do, the levels of unemployment, age groupings, gender, etc.

2. An indication of the level of education in the area - i.e. Are the people well schooled, or poorly schooled. This will give us an indication of the literacy and numeracy levels of the learners.

3. An indication of what businesses are currently being run in the area. This is done by driving through the area and observing what business activities can be seen, where they are located, and the number of businesses that are similar, the state of the businesses, etc.

4. What organisations there are that are currently working in the area/community - especially those that are doing some kind of development work. This is so that we can work towards forming a strategic partnership with at least one organisation.

5. What the local government economic initiatives are and to try and get some indication of how well, or how badly they are running.

6. Information on the Local Government and on their commitment to local economic development, where possible.

7. Other forms of economic activity, such as formal business, manufacturing concerns, farming activities, factories, schools, hospitals, etc. This is to find out how people are employed and to ascertain whether there is spending power in the community. A secondary reason for this information is to find out if at all possible whether the businesses our learners start up in the area could render a service to these formal business concerns.

8. The infrastructure that is in place; the roads, access to water, access to electricity, the transport network, availability of supplies, etc.

9. What financial institutions are in the area, especially those that can give out small business start-up loans.

10. For South Africa, where the closest SEDA and Umsobomvu officers are and whether the community has had any involvement with these organisations.

11. What the availability of jobs are, both formal and informal, and how far the members of the community have to travel to and from their work.

12. Infrastructure that the DBSP would need in order to conduct the training. These revolve around two areas, firstly a suitable venue which can accommodate the training and secondly that catering will be able to be supplied to the learners. In terms of the venue requirements of the DBSP, all that we need is a place that can accommodate 20 people, that is not too draughty and that is rain proof. Then we need 21 chairs, five tables. Should there be electricity and a whiteboard / blackboard / flip chart stand then this will be a bonus.

The area survey is more of an informal gathering of information, rather than a formal study. In essence, we just need to satisfy ourselves that there are enough entrepreneurially inclined / enterprising people and that there is enough opportunity for these people to make money as they engage themselves in a business activity.

Another source of information that is looked at during an area survey is the Internet.