BDS market development guide.pdf - PACA

Alan Gibson is a co-founder of The Springfield Centre for Business in Development. With a
background in economic and business consultancy, he has particular expertise in business
development services (BDS). In 1996–1997, he led the consultancy assignment that led to the
Committee of Donor Agencies’ publication BDS for SMEs: Preliminary Guidelines for Donor-
Funded Interventions, which established the basic principles of good practice that have underpinned
the recent revival of interest in BDS. Since then, Mr. Gibson has been responsible for managing and
editing seven major case studies on BDS practice, advised many agencies on BDS design and
development, and has co-facilitated real and virtual conferences on BDS. He is co-director of the
BDS 2000 Training Programme, for which this publication was written.
Rob Hitchins is a member of The Springfield Centre for Business in Development. He has worked
with BDS programs in a range of countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and has written
extensively on BDS. Recent works include a major issues paper on the implications of “good
practice” principles and the emerging market development approach for the Swiss Agency for
Development and Co-operation (SDC); assessing business centers in Asia and Latin America;
advising on the introduction of incentive-based support for BDS providers in Pakistan; and assisting
agencies in southern Africa on applying BDS good practice principles in their projects. An
economist by training, Mr. Hitchins worked for the accountancy and audit firm KPMG before setting
up his own tourism business in Indonesia. He is co-director of the BDS 2000 Training Programme.
Marshall Bear has worked in international development for 27 years as a manager, microenterprise
specialist, trainer, and author. Most recently, he coordinated the MBP project initiative on BDS, in
which he explored various topics, including how to build markets for BDS and how to measure the
performance of donor- supported BDS projects. His most recent publication explores the use of
information and communication technologies for small and medium-sized enterprise development.
Mr. Bear is one of the three core trainers for the BDS 2000 Training Programme.