August 3, 2018 – Participants of UP ISSI’s Tara Na, Negosyo Na! Year 8 were invited to do self-reflection during the first session of the program entitled “Identifying your Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs).” Directly following that was the second session on Project Identification using the Community-Based Enterprise Development (C-BED) Methodology, wherein the participants were enjoined to do environmental scanning and brain storming among co-participants. UP ISSI management and staff were trained in 2015 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the use and application of the C-BED for Aspiring Entrepreneurs facilitators’ manual, which states the following of the methodology:
The C-BED training program is an innovative tool that relies on self-facilitation and social
learning techniques to build the business skill capacity of aspiring or current
entrepreneurs.
C-BED leverages existing knowledge present in the community to create a safe
learning environment where lessons can be applied to real business experiences participants
face. C-BED does not require the presence of an external expert, only a literate member from
the community is needed to introduce the modules and keep time. Thus, the C-BED
methodology presents a skill development opportunity in challenging environments where
lack of or unavailability of teachers and instructors is common, in particular in marginalised
areas and post conflict or disaster zones.
The package incorporates hands-on, activity based lessons, maximizing the use of
diagrams and pictures so that both literate and illiterate participants are able to learn
together. This alternative teaching method has been found to promote increased leadership
and participation during the course and translates to greater individual feelings of
empowerment and ties to the community once the course is complete.
C-BED is designed to be a low cost, flexible program that organizations and communities
with minimal capacity can easily implement and adapt to meet their local needs. (International
Labour Organization, 2014, p.2)
During the Tara Na, Negosyo Na! Year 8, the participants were grouped into “communities” and worked on simplified worksheets based on the C-BED Facilitators Manual on selecting business ideas. The first worksheet was an inventory of the group’s interests (including hobbies), work experiences (including training and education), and other references (sources of inspiration, such as family, friends, teachers, acquaintances, etc.). After a brief sharing session, the group conducted a brainstorming on business ideas, wherein they came up with as many new and different business ideas as possible resulting from the first worksheet, and listed them all down on the second worksheet. The third worksheet then had them discussing the three important criteria for selecting good business ideas: skills, resources and demand in the community. Finally, the groups rated the business ideas on how well they match the skills, resources or demand listed on the third worksheet using smiley faces, and ranked them according to the number of smiley faces on the fourth worksheet. Some groups were requested to share their outputs to the plenary, and the business ideas they reported ranged from food manufacturing and services (bakery, coffee shop, and restaurant) to wellness- (spa) and tourism-related enterprises (travel agencies).
Ms. Joanna Rose T. Laddaran, one of the facilitators for the Project Identification session, added other tools in business idea generation, such as situational analysis, environmental analysis, resource analysis, and SWOT analysis. Mr. Reynold Ferdinand G. Manegdeg, Ms. Laddaran’s co-facilitator, explained that Project Identification is just one part of the C-BED methodology and invited all to visit the https://cb-tools.org/ for the full list of C-BED Manuals and other downloadable resources from the ILO for entrepreneurs and micro business owners.
Reference:
International Labour Organization. (June 2014). Community-Based Enterprise Development (C-BED) for
aspiring entrepreneurs: Facilitators guide. International Labour Organization.
Published by Information and Public Affairs Office (IPAO), UP ISSI. 2018.
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