The USAID-funded Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and Quality Program (SABEQ) and active members of the Irbid and Karak communities each met for two-day workshops this week to determine specific strategic directions for future economic investment in each region. The workshops approached the task by looking at the overall economic investment goals and opportunities that could be achieved in the five years. They then identified specific obstacles to those goals and opportunities and discussed initiatives to resolve them.
The workshops focused on the question set to the groups, “What should the Governorate do over the next five years to increase jobs and business productivity?” The groups determined several areas to focus resources on, such as creating an investment environment which generates business and job opportunities, creating a sustainable and productive agro-industry, and creating a decentralized decision-making process that creates a supportive environment for enhancing and stimulating the productivity. Each group then picked specific strategic directions to pursue identified strategies, such as increased awareness and cooperation among sectors through improved dialogue between the public and private sectors, focused efforts on sustainable sectors that are unique to each region and creating a cooperative, unified image of promoting the economic strengths and opportunities in each region.
For Karak, the identified priorities are to create a true, competitive tourist destination, modernize the agricultural sector and build partnerships between the Governorate, private sector, vocational training centers, and Mu’ta University. Major directions for Irbid are to build a ‘knowledge economy’ that ties the research and innovation power of Irbid’s six universities to Irbid’s economic development, maximize the use of renewable energy and water resources; create a model industry framework to promote the Irbid economy; and apply job training programs to the requirements of growing businesses.
The next steps for each of these groups are to discuss their proposed strategies to each sector in their respective regions, and begin implementing the best practices of cooperation, streamlining production systems, and promotion through various technical assistance program offered by Jordanian and international experts. Achievement of the USAID-funded SABEQ Program’s principal goals in part lies in its ability to prompt local governments to build partnerships with the business community of local associations, and assume a more active and ownership role in promoting and sustaining their own economic growth. To achieve this, SABEQ has concerted efforts in the governorates of Irbid and Karak to increase local government understanding of the important role the private sector plays in the local economy, as well as the impact that local government initiatives can have on economic development.
The USAID-funded Sustainable Achievement of Business Expansion and Quality Program (SABEQ) is a five-year broad economic development initiative implemented by BearingPoint, Inc. and a sizeable team of international and Jordanian partner firms. Its primary work is to support improvements in the business environment and providing assistance to expand innovation, productivity and job creation in Jordanian businesses, thus supporting the main objective of building up the private sector as a powerful engine of economic growth.
