CDC draws upon a broad resource base that includes volunteer advisors, MBA Corps members, professional consultants, exceptional headquarters and field staffs and in-country partner organizations. From this wealth of knowledge and talent, customized solutions are created to render individual companies, vertical business sectors and entire economies more competitive. We can meet specific needs for short-term, mid-term, or long-term interventions.

MBA Enterprise Corps Members

Among the most flexible assets within CDC is its partnership with the MBA Enterprise Corps (MBAEC).В  Each year men and women from more thanВ 50 of the leadingВ business schools in the United StatesВ areВ chosen each year to serve in the MBAEC.В  Their mix of experience and academics allowsВ MBAEC to provide a most unique and effective resource to partners, clients, and funders.В Corps members often work in tandem with volunteer expert advisors and consultants from CDC while other are assigned to non-CDC projects to provide seamless support for local enterprises, institutions and industries.

MBA Enterprise Corps (MBAEC) deploys recently graduated MBAs from the top business schools in the US. The MBAs have at least three to five years of business experience, and are willing to volunteers 15 months of their time and expertise to support development efforts. The standard assignment consists of three months of language training and acculturation followed by 12 months of work with the host organization. MBAEC has a solid track record of providing technical assistance in a variety of business disciplines. Since the Corps’ inception in 1990, over 600 Corps members have assisted in all aspects of management and technology transfer to well over 1,000 enterprises, business support organizations, and associations.

Though they bring considerable work experience to their assignments,В Corps members are most effective in conveying general business principles rather than industry specific expertise. For example, Corps members may conduct company assessments and strategic analysis, help formulate new business plans, develop financial proposals, establish marketing programs, launch new products, negotiate joint ventures, implement accounting and software systems, and initiate employee training and development programs, etc. Because they are in-country for more than a year,В Corps members bring a unique perspective to their assignments that comes from learning the language, understanding local business operations, and getting to know the people in the business, host government, and donor community. Their energy and creativity, combined with their commitment to service, make them an asset to the organizations in which they serve.

CorpsВ members often work side-by-side with CDC short-term advisors, and each group can actually enhance the effectiveness of the other.В Corps members can identify companies requiring expert assistance and help draft detailed scopes of work to solve specific problems that may be outside of their realm of experience. When a CDC advisor is assigned, theВ Corps member can facilitate their introduction to the company and give them the background information required to be effective that much sooner. This is particularly important given the average length of a short term assignment. By the same token, once on site, the CDC advisor can put together an action plan for complicated or industry-specific problems. When that CDC advisor leaves, theВ Corps member can use that action plan to follow-up with the company and provide continued assistance throughout implementation.