Introduction to Business Environment Reform

Online Training Course

Learn about the role of business environment reform in supporting business growth, innovation and job creation.

Business Environment Reform

Learn about the role of business environment reform in supporting business growth, innovation and job creation. Know where to go for data when assessing the business environment and develop techniques that can be used in designing and managing reforms. Apply tools for setting reform priorities and learn about the reform challenges and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This course is directed at anyone with an interest in economic development, business growth, innovation and job creation. As an entry level course, the material presented will be of interest to a wide range of policymakers and development practitioners. This includes people who are government officials working at national, state or local levels, staff members of business representative organisations, such as a chamber of commerce or employers organisation, staff of a development program or institution, or involved in a civil society organisation, such as town team, placemaking association, business incubation or innovation centre.

Four-week course: coming soon.

Click here for the course brochure

About this course

This course has been designed to give policymakers and development practitioners a sound introduction to the role of the business environment in promoting business growth, innovation and job creation. The course provides a comprehensive overview of the business environment and its influence on the decisions made by businesspeople and how governments can improve the business environment to achieved desired economic and social development outcomes.

Course objectives

The Introduction to Business Environment Reform course has been designed to:

  1. Introduce the key concepts related to business environments and business development and job creation;
  2. Provide a framework for assessing business environments, prioritising reform needs and structuring a reform program;
  3. Understand the major debates and contested issues concerning business environment reform.

What you will learn

Once you have completed this course you will be able to:

  • Describe the contribution business environment reform can make to promoting business growth, innovation and more and better jobs.
  • Define the business environment and a variety of settings, industry domains and functional areas that affect the ways business start-up and grow.
  • Know the main tools and processes that are used to assess the business environment and critique the value and use of each of these in different settings and for different purposes.
  • Know where to go for further information, data and guidance.

Target audience

The Introduction to Business Environment Reform course is directed at anyone with an interest in economic development, business growth, innovation and job creation. As an entry level course, the material presented will be of interest to a wide range of policymakers and development practitioners. This includes people who are government officials working at national, state or local levels, staff members of business representative organisations, such as a chamber of commerce or employers organisation, staff of a development program or institution, or involved in a civil society organisation, such as town team, placemaking association, business incubation or innovation centre.

Course: Introduction to Business Environment Reform
Dates: Coming soon
Length: Four weeks
Effort: 3-4 hours per week
Course type: Instructor-led on a course schedule
Language: English
Level: Introductory
Certificate: Certificate of completion
Price: USD499 (A$360)

Prerequisites

The course will be delivered in English. So, participants will have to be competent with verbal and written English.

While there are no formal requirements to be met before enrolling.

There will be recorded presentations, readings and online chats around specific course themes and topics. While this will be delivered in a friendly and informal manner, participants that invest the time and effort will get the most out of the course.

It is expected that about three to four hours per week will be required from all participants. This includes the time required to view presentations, read the essential reading material for each module (secondary reading material will require a little more time), and participate in group chats or webinars.

Your teacher

Dr Simon White has over 30 years’ experience as an independent policy advisor who helps national, regional and city governments, business organisations and development agencies formulate and implement strategies for economic growth, business development and job creation. He has provided these services in over 40 countries across Australia, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, as well as parts of Europe.

Simon has been at the forefront of business environment reform programming since his early assignments on this topic in the mid-1990s. He has published extensively on this topic and taught and written curricula on private sector and development, local economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation, and business environment reform in graduate and undergraduate programs for universities, as well as for the International Training Centre (Turin, Italy) and for a wide range of international development organisations.

Since 2002, Simon has supported the Business Environment Working Group of the international Donor Committee for Enterprise Development providing technical advice and support on various knowledge management projects that improve the practices of these agencies in their support of business environment reforms. He has also undertaken a variety of curriculum design, training, and research assignments on private sector development, local economic development and business environment reform.

Go here for more information on Simon.

Course format

The course consists of the following components:

  1. Weekly recorded lectures. You will have access to recorded lectures, which introduce the course material in an interesting, accessible way.
  2. Forum discussions. You can ask (and answer) any questions you want in the forum and get answers from other participants and the course facilitator.
  3. Live seminars. Two live seminars will be conducted (Week 2 and Week 4). These will last around 60-90 minutes each. These seminars provide a good opportunity to share your experiences and learn from other participants and facilitators.
  4. Assessments. Each module involves an assessment that is designed to help you review the key information and to help us to assess how well we have performed in presenting.

You will receive a certificate at the end of the course.

FAQs

Can I do this course if I have a slow internet connection?

Participants from all over the world can take this course. While you will need internet access, it does not need to be a high-speed network. If you have previously used skype, WhatsApp calls, or webinar software, you should be fine.

Can I do this course if I am on a field trip?

Course timings are very flexible, and if you are on a field trip for a week you can always catch up afterwards. However, if you are going to be away for most of the course, you might struggle to stay on top of the workload.

Do you cater for all time zones?

We ask for your time zone in the registration form, to ensure that we can cater to everyone’s needs. We coordinate the live seminars across several times, to ensure that all participants can join. While sometimes you might not be able to join all our presentations live, they are all recorded so you could listen later.

More information

Do you have more questions? Contact us here.

Course structure: modules and study areas

There are four modules to this course. These present major training themes. They are the building blocks to the course. Within each module are a number of study areas. These are more focused lessons that contribute to the overall module.

Syllabus: overview

Module 1 Creating a Business Enabling Environment for Small Business
Study Area 1.1 Course Introduction
Study Area 1.2 Role of Small Business in Economic Development
Study Area 1.3 Evolution in Small Business Development: Roles of Government and Markets
Module 2 Defining the Business Environment Reform
Study Area 2.1 Business Environment Elements, Functions and Dimensions
Study Area 2.2 Objectives of Business Environment Reform
Study Area 2.3 Phases of Business Environment Reform
Module 3 Assessing the Business Environment
Study Area 3.1 Tools for Assessing the Business Environment
Study Area 3.2 Assessment Processes
Study Area 3.3 Special Concerns: Gender, Territory and Sector
Module 4 Improving the Business Environment
Study Area 4.1 Set Reform Priorities
Study Area 4.2 Regulatory Best Practices
Study Area 4.3 COVID-19 Business Environment Reforms

Click here for the course brochure