Client:

FOSIM

Origin of funding:

Council of Europe Development Bank/ Norway Trust Fund (50%), Foundation Open Society Institute – Macedonia (50%)

Project Description:

The main goal of the evaluation was to research, analyze and evaluate the activities of the project. The evaluated project consisted of two main components, basic business skills education and provision of micro credits. The CDS has finished the first phase of the evaluation (formative phase). Another evaluation will be finished (summarative evaluation) upon the completion of the project.

Types of Services Provided:

Research, analysis and evaluation of the activities of the project.

Client:

MAASP – Macedonian Agricultural Advisory Support Programme

Project Description:

Types of Services Provided:

Comparison of the current education and training provision in agriculture with job requirements of new entrants to the agricultural advisory services on behalf of the MAASP.

Client:

UNDP, Regional office, Bratislava

Project Description:

The main focus of the project was to identify the specific elements of the legislation which are most constraining. The study compares the strictness of the legislation of different countries and analyzes the strengths and weakness of the Macedonian employment legislation.

Types of Services Provided:

Identification of employment protection legislation reform priorities.

Client:

MAASP – Macedonian Agricultural Advisory Support Programme

Project Description:

The project was consisted of two phases. The first phase provided an assessment of the understanding by farmers of the current range of practical agricultural advisory materials. Working with a national sample of agricultural advisory materials, the consultant to use suitable tools to assess and comment on the level of comprehension based on degree of difficulty of writing, suitability of design, layout, illustrations and graphics, relevance at level of technology to current farming practices, etc. Based on knowledge obtained from the first phase, the CDS prepared a procedure guide for the production of written agricultural advisory materials for farmers, which was considered a second phase of the project. The guide was prepared in a form of a process chart as an aide to authors. It also provided examples of good and bad writing styles and a list of do’s and don’ts in the preparation of written materials.

Types of Services Provided:

Evaluation of written agricultural advisory materials and preparation of a guide for preparing written advisory materials.

Client:

UNDP, Regional office, Bratislava

Project Description:

Main focus of the study was to compile data on, and calculate rates of job creation, destruction and turnover for the most recent three years nationally and for each municipality, according to firm ownership and by business sector. The main source of data was the firm-level data based on the Annual Statistical Survey for employees and net wages (2002-2004) performed by the State Statistical Office (SSO). Sample of 400 firms was used stratified in two strata: 50% private firms and 50% state owned companies.

Types of Services Provided:

Compile data on, and calculate rates of job creation, destruction and turnover for the most recent three years nationally and for each municipality, according to firm ownership and by business sector.

Client:

GTZ – Private Sector Promotion Project (GTZ – PSP)

Project Description:

Create a report containing information on the existing situation and potentials for future economic development of the City of Skopje.

Types of Services Provided:

The CDS developed an appraisal of the urban economic development of the City of Skopje.

Client:

SME Commercial Finance Fund

Project Description:

Identify market needs for financial services through a nation wide survey of 300 companies.

Types of Services Provided:

The CDS implemented a survey of 300 companies from all over Macedonia. The survey data was analyzed thoroughly and the results were presented in a report format based on the Client’s needs.

Client:

MCA/ National Competitiveness Council

Project Description:

Analysis of the possibilities for opening up a prominent MBA School in Macedonia. The goal of the feasibility study was to attract international MBA schools in Macedonia.

Types of Services Provided:

Data research (desk and field research), analysis, and reporting.

Client:

Macedonian Competitiveness Activity (MCA) Project/ IT Cluster

Project Description:

Baseline survey of 100 IT companies in Macedonia. The goal of the survey was to gather baseline statistical data for the IT Cluster and IT Industry in order to identify: Total market size, Sector revenue from exports abroad, Sector contribution to GDP, Total number of sector employees, Total amount of salaries and wages paid to sector employees.

Types of Services Provided:

Compile Baseline Statistics 2002 and 2003 for the Information Technology Sector: Data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Client:

I-LEAD – USAID/EDC Project

Project Description:

CDS was contracted by USAID’s project in Macedonia for support of the implementation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) called I-LEAD. The CDS developed an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of opening ICT centers in different industries as well functional fields of each business (marketing, finance, etc.).

Types of Services Provided:

Data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Client:

Macedonian Competitiveness Activity (MCA) Project, USAID

Project Description:

Conduct a survey of the top-level manager in the Republic of Macedonia from four sectors: finance, construction, tourism and wine. The CDS concrete activities were data collection and analysis.

Types of Services Provided:

Data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Client:

USAID Macedonia

Project Description:

Conduct an analysis of the recycling possibilities in Macedonia. The project was designed in four phases and so far two of the phases have been completed. The CDS concrete activities in this project were to (1) Research the types and quantities of plastic waste generated and the way it is dealt with (PET, PVC etc), (2) Design of a viable solution for collection and sorting of plastic waste and identification of recycled plastic products and customers.

Types of Services Provided:

Data collection on the Possibilities in Macedonia for Recycling of PET Materials, analysis, and reporting.

Client:

GTZ - Private Sector Promotion Project (GTZ-PSP)

Project Description:

The goal of the analysis was to give an overall picture of the economic conditions in the municipalities of Stip, Sv. Nikole, Karbinci and Lozovo. The GTZ-PSP used the analysis to compare it with the economic situation in other regions of Eastern Macedonia and identify the best solution for providing support for economic development in the region. As a result of this analysis and further activities of the Client, the GTZ REDEM (Regional Economic Development of Eastern Macedonia) was created. The project started in January 2005 and has a budget of 1,750,000 EUR for technical support activities in Eastern Macedonia.

Types of Services Provided:

CDS developed an analysis for GTZ-Private Sector Promotion (PSP) on the possibilities for regional economic development in Eastern Macedonia.