This programme is tailored and driven by the needs of the Egyptian business and social associations.

Based on an extensive study and a survey that we conducted, Egyptian association executives show a clear need for training in fundamental skills of executive management.

This programme will give accreditation to executives in association management, as it seeks to accredit executives to ensure quality association management in Egypt.

Accreditation ensures that those who are managing associations are doing it in a qualified and efficient manner. Qualified executives will build their associations to become functioning participants in civil society and the policy making process.

An association that is efficiently structured with mechanisms for member participation has a stronger voice and better input from the private sector to advocate reform.

What are the accreditation programe objectives?

• To enhance Egyptian civil society and the private sector through the development of educated, skilled, and professional association executives.

• To bridge the knowledge gap that impedes association governance.

Despite the difference in purpose, mission, and programs between business¬ focused and social development-focused organizations, there are common primary training and development needs in the professional management and marketing of these organizations in Egypt. We will offer training on management practices to both groups, in addition to specialized training and development programmes for each group.

This course will focus on who speaks for business, what is a business association, what is a market system, what changes improve market systems, do markets work better in a democracy and the association’s role being a voice for market improvements and advancements of societies

Increasingly, successful associations are viewing strategic planning as a necessary value added commodity to the development process. A strategic plan which is most often defined as a three to five year compendium of an organization's goals and action steps is a "roadmap" to achieve specific and measurable results. Through utilization of a strategic planning mechanism, successful associations will achieve significant results within a specific timeframe.

This course will emphasize the fact that strategic planning is a way of relating goals, objectives, activities, resources and outcomes. It also embraces strategic planning as a value added process as;
• It provides a clear path.
• It keeps the organization open to input from others yet focused on members.
• It allows for innovation and change.
• It promotes influencing versus responding.
• It provides a strong management tool.
• It enhances effectiveness and efficiency.
• It provides for balances between results and resources.

Within the association arena, the paradigm of management has changed significantly over the last twenty years. Organizations that operated with a top down management style that limited empowerment opportunities for staff members have been forced to reassess their management strategies. Successful organizations in the Twenty-first Century will adopt team approaches to management, which focus on empowerment and individual initiative.

Participants in this course will examine why boards often perform poorly. They will identify fundamental characteristics of “leadership” boards and will evaluate the role of boards in five key areas: planning, operations, external relations, financial resource development, and the board function itself. The course will also focus on the “change management” function of boards; consider the Board-CEO relationship and review oversight and monitoring tools that facilitate good governance and effective board performance.

Many associations developed a financial system that includes the approval of an annual budget, the generation of monthly financial statements, the allocation of expenses through a general ledger, and the creation of an income statement to track assets. In addition, many have adopted financial procedures manuals that outline specific processes that must be used to ensure financial accountability and transparency.
Successful associations will rely on transparent financial practices to instill member confidence and to build credibility within the business community.

Participants in this course will be given to understand the importance of, the financial planning, the budgeting process and different types of budgets, the importance of recording, reporting, and control mechanisms for their organization, and to learn management uses of financial reports.

From the Chairman of the Board to the receptionist, membership development is considered of paramount importance and it becomes everyone's "job" to increase the organization's support.

Within this system, membership retention has the highest priority, while the old paradigm of membership campaigns is relegated to just one of many processes that may be used to recruit members.

Participants in this course will get to understand the importance of membership to overall association programs, the different types of membership structures, bases and categories, the importance of membership records and which products attract members. The course will also help them to understand how to develop a marketing campaign and marketing tools, how to develop a dues structure which reflects services and how to retain members.

Focusing on marketing strategies to reinforce organizational purpose and message through the following:

• Public Relations and Media
• Fundraising and Non-Dues Income
• Sponsorships
• Donor Relations

It has often been said that "It doesn't matter what you do if no one knows you did it".
This is especially true of business associations, which depend on marketing to increase membership, volunteer support and credibility.

Even in organizations with mandatory membership, marketing of programs and services is critical to maintain connection with the business community.

Future success will depend on associations' ability to create, market, and evaluate demand-driven programs and services, as well as to build an organizational brand that denotes excellence

The course will help participants to:

• Understand association marketing techniques related to increasing revenues, enhancing volunteer participation and strengthening the organization

• Learn how to develop association marketing plans to achieve an association’s goals and objectives

• Comprehend the significance of membership customer service delivered by quality oriented and trained management staff

• Explore marketing models for selling an association’s membership services and programs

• Learn how to generate non dues income, defined as income generated by any source other than membership fees. Non dues generate revenue and support to augment membership dues.

In this century, success in advocacy will no longer be measured by whether or not an organization is involved, but how successful it is and what process it uses.

This course will deal with the following topics:

• Government and Economic Affairs and focusing on economic development as an economic building block.

• Research, Statistical Analysis, and Business Development and those successful organizations should serve as information brokers to the business community by compiling, interpreting, distributing and evaluating information. These organizations will come to understand that information is not only power, it is also a source of revenue and prestige.

• Review of Legislation

• Policy Briefing and Recommendations

1. Good policy is essential to growth.
2. How policy is made must be understood.
3. Policy can be influenced through honest and effective advocacy.
4. Effective advocacy strategies and tactics must be used to be successful.
5. Honesty is the best way to build a democracy and a market economy.

In this course, participants will :

• Understand how policy is made in a democratic society and the importance of public policy advocacy

• Discuss the steps to developing a business advocacy program

• Understand strategies to influence public policy

• Understand how to develop policy positions and communicate those positions to members, lawmakers, allies and the general public.

• Understand the importance of tracking legislation and follow-up

• Understand the elements of a strong public policy advocacy program

I. Each participant applying for accreditation in any one or more areas of association management will have to go through the mandatory courses in addition to any one or more areas of specialization,

II. The applicant must be currently employed or had employment within the last five years in a business association, professional society, individual membership organization, philanthropic organization, or NGO or is starting his/her career as an association executive.

III. Participants will have to apply for EgSAE membership to receive their accreditation certificate.

IV. Applicants must be university graduates.

I. The trainers assigned for any portion of the training program are world class trainers with extensive experience in association management

II. The minimum number of participants in any training module is ten executives, and the maximum is twenty.

III. The programs will be conducted in English or Arabic with simultaneous interpretation.

IV. A certificate will be awarded to the course participants who pass the final exam with a minimum score of 70 % for each module.

V. Each of the candidates for any specialization will have to go through the core courses.

Referring source: CIPE