Course Modules:

Module 1: Role of SMEs in National Economies

• SME contributions to GDP, employment, and innovation
• Barriers to SME growth: regulatory, financial, and market-related
• International frameworks supporting SME development (OECD, ITC, UNCTAD)
  Workshop: Analyze the SME policy landscape of a selected country
  Case Study: Successful national SME policy reforms in Rwanda

Module 2: Designing Effective SME Policy Frameworks

• Principles of evidence-based policy design
• Balancing formalization incentives with ease of doing business
• Role of stakeholder consultation in policy development
  Exercise: Draft policy recommendations for startup promotion
  Case Study: How Singapore fostered SME innovation and competitiveness

Module 3: Regulatory and Institutional Reforms for SME Support

• Simplifying business registration, licensing, and taxation
• Creating SME agencies and strengthening support institutions
• Policies to enhance credit access, digitalization, and training
  Workshop: Design a “one-stop-shop” institutional framework for SMEs
  Case Study: Kenya’s Huduma Centers and their SME impact

Module 4: SME Policy Implementation and Monitoring

• Aligning policies with national development plans and strategies
• Budgeting, resourcing, and inter-agency coordination
• M&E frameworks for SME policies and performance indicators
  Exercise: Build an SME policy action plan with timelines and KPIs
  Case Study: Implementation challenges in Nigeria’s SME policy roll-out

Module 5: Public-Private Dialogue and Ecosystem Strengthening

• Engaging chambers, associations, and the private sector in policy review
• Building trust and partnerships in SME policy governance
• Strengthening local ecosystems: incubators, accelerators, and clusters
  Simulation: Facilitate a mock public-private policy consultation session
  Peer Review: Evaluate ecosystem improvement proposals from participants