What should be priorities of SERDEF? What services should it offer? Who should be the beneficiaries of its activities? What innovative strategies should it adopt? What concrete steps should be taken to achieve its priorities?
These were some of the questions sought to be answered during the strategic planning workshop of the Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation held yesterday, June 2, at the UP ISSI executive lounge, Diliman Campus.
The workshop was facilitated by Trustees Fortunato T. de la Pena and Celia R. Pascual. Those who participated were members of the Board of Trustees and selected members of the Foundation.
In his opening remarks, President Paterno V. Viloria underscored the need to revisit the Foundation’s vision, mission and strategies “in the light of the rapidly evolving social, economic and environmental changes bearing on society today.”
Trustee de la Pena, in orienting the participants to the planning exercise, noted that strategic planning is more than a way of achieving SERDEF’s goals: it also aligns SERDEF’s perspectives with the current environment, its clients and beneficiaries, as well as its current and possible competition.
“Strategic planning aims to create focus and clarity within the organization. Focus includes inner strength and depth in service goals while clarity includes precision and singleness of purpose in pursuing these goals.
The output of the workshop includes the following:
On SERDEF’s strengths: highly experienced and highly-committed manpower resources (trustees, members, and staff); strong spirit of volunteerism; good publications and website; commitment to serve; exposure to mass media.
On concerns: Need to be pro-active, need to raise public awareness of distinctive competence, need to intensify endowments and generate funds; limited resources; need to clarify relationship with ISSI; an aging membership; need to clarify staff policies.
On priorities: Infusion of young blood; expansion of membership especially among those who can contribute significantly; knowledge management; focus on job-creating, labor-intensive SMEs, institutionalization of budgeting within SERDEF; entrepreneurship education, institutional project partnerships; fostering awareness of importance of entrepreneurship among general public.
On proposed innovative strategies: joint programs with civic organizations; forging ties with small industry associations; consultancy services to small industry associations; focus on inclusive growth; spin-off a consultancy and training subsidiary; summer workshops for kiddiepreneurs; annual for a/lectures named after distinguished persons.
On concrete actions: Activities/discussions on ASEAN integration; putting up a consultancy subsidiary; new membership campaign; organization and operationalization of information management; more training of teachers on entrepreneurship; preparation of policy manual for staff; hiring of project development staff.
