A technical workshop on the monitoring of Azerbaijan's SME roadmap will be organised on 15 February with participation from the Ministry of Economy and the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, the main bodies engaged in the monitoring process.
The workshop is organised in the framework of the EU4Business programme ‘From Policies to Action’, implemented by the OECD, and its project ‘Supporting the implementation and monitoring of Azerbaijan's SME roadmap’.
The meeting will be structured in two sessions:
- Data collection and institutional co-ordination. The session will be dedicated to a discussion of how the current monitoring system is organised, including data collection and co-ordination among the key institutions involved. The purpose of the session is also to identify challenges and bottlenecks within the current monitoring process.
- Targets and key performance indicators of the SME roadmap. This session will discuss how to improve the existing targets and indicators in the SME roadmap to ensure that they conform to good practices and provide the basis for a meaningful and effective monitoring of the roadmap.
Azerbaijan has adopted a set of strategic roadmaps to reignite the economy's growth and strengthen the development of its main economic sectors, including the SME sector. In light of the current economic situation and Azerbaijan's increased reform efforts to diversify the economy, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan has requested the OECD’s assistance on the implementation and monitoring of its newly adopted SME roadmap.
The overall objective of the project is to build capacity in Azerbaijan's institutions to implement and monitor the SME roadmap. In order to meet this objective, the project will concentrate on the following:
- Strengthened public-private dialogue through regular Working Group meetings involving international experts, Azerbaijani stakeholders (e.g. ministries, business representatives) and the OECD to identify priorities, steer and monitor project work;
- Design of guidance notes on selected priority areas of the SME roadmap, including OECD good practices;
- Development of recommendations for better implementation of SME roadmap, with a focus on trade, investment, financing and business partnerships;
- Support in establishing a monitoring system for the SME roadmap.