Corporate Capabilities

The breadth and depth of CDC’s experience, the skill of our staff and volunteers, and our overall commitment to providing quality services sets CDC apart from the others. Our record of success is demonstrated by our ongoing and repeat business with USAID and other agencies around the world. CDC offers real world solutions and lasting improvements to business and government policies, practices and performance. The following areas highlight CDC’s experience in providing requisite services.

Economic and Business Development

• Introduce market-based business practices, including the development of business plans, marketing strategies, new products, distribution networks and franchising operations to improve a company’s abilities to respond to growing market opportunities.
• Provide one-on-one technical assistance in general management, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, product development, operations and logistics and information systems.
• Organize trainings in financial management, contract management, international accounting practices, project management, international standards and certifications and human resource development.
• Improve the quality of operations and products of local suppliers and distributors.
• Train local companies on how to participate in the contracting process.
• Provide skills training to entrepreneurs who are starting small businesses in the services sector, such as dry cleaning, security and food services, thereby improving the local infrastructure and expanding the employment base.

Business Climate Improvements

• Provide local government representatives and working groups with the technical knowledge and coalition building techniques they need to improve the legal and regulatory environment for the private sector.
• Assist in drafting investment laws that reflect the interests of local and foreign business communities.
• Improve the budget processes of local governments.
• Design economic development projects with regional and municipal governments including mayors and city managers as well as planning directors, chambers of commerce, city administrators, and city comptrollers.
• Facilitate greater synergies among the private sector and local governments that increase regional competitiveness, and result in more substantive economic growth.
• Keep local officials and businesses informed of new sources of financing and business support programs being introduced in a region.
• Introduce potential investors to local government officials.

Local Competitiveness

• Provide direct assistance to improve the productivity of client companies, introduce new business tools, recommend upgrades in machinery and equipment, and show how such changes can enhance competitiveness.
• Build the capacity of local consulting firms to improve their consulting services.
• Help business associations become more effective advocates.
• Generate and build high performance private sectors and competitive enterprises of various sizes capable of long-term in the global marketplace participation.

Finance and Business Linkages

• Assist companies in evaluating their needs and improving their abilities to use financing.
• Identify appropriate sources of financing and help companies prepare documentation needed to approach finance institutions.
• Facilitate initial contacts and help with presentations.
• Prepare local companies for partnerships with U.S. contractors.
• Develop new markets and trade and investment opportunities for client companies in emerging economies.

CDC also has demonstrated experience in designing and implementing training activities across a broad spectrum of structures and participants to achieve diverse objectives. CDC has used its volunteer network to organize study tours that introduce foreign participants to U.S. companies, provide introductions and guidance at trade shows, and host visiting foreign officials. The CDC volunteer network is flexible and can be used to recruit general business volunteers as well as specific industrial or institutional expertise. To complement our core technical assistance activities, CDC provides clients with information, referrals and networks they need to establish local, regional and international trade linkages.