CEFE stands for Competency based Economies through Formation of Enterprise and represents an accumulation of  instruments for entrepreneurship training combined with active and dynamic approach to work and methods of empirical learning in order to develop and improve managerial and individual skills.   

CEFE methodology was developed in 1980s and is considered to be one of the most successful methods of adult teaching and business development. CEFE trainings are completely adapted to adult teaching and oriented towards simulations, empirical and interactive participation of participants.   

CEFE method evokes creative energy of individuals and uses this potential for business development, skills improvement and creation of new entrepreneurs. CEFE learning process is based on four dimensions: knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits.

During the last thirty years CEFE courses have been successfully carried out in more than 130 countries all over the world through developed international network which gathers about 1.700 organizations and more than 20.000 people.

„CEFE does not create gold from lead nor diamonds from coal but it does offers prospectors and promoters the possibility of using a better tool to find what they are looking for“- Rainer Kolshorn, Jim Tomecko

SEE CEFE

In SEE CEFE is organized through national associations in Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. CEFE in SEE is a part of network CEFE International, an international organization which includes more than 1.700 partner institutions and more than 20.000 trainers all over the world.  

In SEE CEFE has been present since 2004 and more than 5.000 people have gone through the training since then: entrepreneurs, potential entrepreneurs, consultants, university professors, students, high school students, journalists, people employed in local and state institutions for support and development of SMEs, etc.

More than 50 certified CEFE trainers worked in SEE in last five years. About twenty trainers worked not only in the region but in the third markets as well (like Lithuania, Romania, Israel, Indonesia and Nigeria).

After several years of dynamic activities within national associations they recognize restricted potential of such approach. National associations have seen their interest in regional cooperation aimed at giving support to program development, improvement of cooperation between trainers, exchange of experiences, development and exchange of new exercises and materials that will help in further development of specialized CEFE programs and their standardization, active participation in establishment of CEFE Alumni organization, conferences, participation in international tenders and projects.

DEVELOPMENT of REGIONAL MARKET for CEFE TRAINERS (CEFE ORF)

Uniting of CEFE associations in SEE has been done through Open Regional Fund (ORF) for international promotion and trade in SEE whose aim is to develop and spread onto the Western Balkans and  third markets. CEFE ORF is a two-year project, set up in April 2008 and financed by German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The project contributes to SME sector development, entrepreneurship development through improvement of competitive skills and capabilities which will contribute to the fulfillment of economic criteria for European Union accession.

Target groups of CEFE ORF project are regional CEFE associations, i.e. CEFE trainers/consultants, whose export potential can be better exploited through adequate regional cooperation and coordination. Indirect beneficiaries are those individuals and organizations that use services of the trainers/consultants, i.e. small and medium size enterprises, entrepreneurs, companies, local economic development units within municipalities, chambers of commerce, national agencies for support and development of SMEs

Tasks of the program:

• Elaboration of regional Internet platform as a supporting instrument and strengthening of regional cross-linking of CEFE associations in SEE. It will operate as a portal that includes: all relevant information about products and services for prospective clients (education, consulting, workshops, conferences); biographies of licensed CEFE trainers; training material (manual); ongoing projects, call for tenders and all other relevant information. The Internet portal will be multilingual (Serbian/ Croatian/ Bosnian/ Montenegrin, Macedonian, Albanian and English) which will provide quick and efficient networking, communication and informing of large number of users and prospective clients. The Internet portal, apart from having the role of informing prospective clients, will act as an instrument of better regional linking of CEFE associations in SEE. It will also contribute to promotion and transparency of ORF project.

• Thirty training materials (manuals) are planned to be standardized according to CEFE International methodology.

• Organization of promotional CEFE workshops in the Western Balkans market in order to make prospective clients (SMEs, large companies and corporations, ministries, agencies, municipalities, etc.) familiar with CEFE methodology  

• Organization of two regional conferences (Serbia and Macedonia) of SEE CEFE trainers in order to exchange knowledge, experience and information and achieve better regional linking.   

Results achieved so far:

ORF is a two-year project, set up in April 2008. Following activities have been realized by September 2008:

• 7 CEFE training programs have been standardized ( Youth Entrepreneurship Training Program, Business Orientation Training Program, Finance for Start Ups Training Program, Communication Skills Training Program, Public Private Partnership Basic Training Program, Public Private Partnership Training of Trainers Training Program, Marketing In House Training Program).

• Design, software development, graphical solution and other technically-engineering aspects of the Internet platform have been done by outsourced software company.

• A regional conference of CEFE trainers was successfully organized in Struga, Macedonia in October 2008 with over 50 participants – CEFE trainers from the region.

Expected results after the project:

Improved regional cooperation of SEE CEFE associations and increased export of training services based on empirical learning in the region and third markets as well. The project is aimed at regional cooperation and it is based on mutual and long-term interest of all parties involved.