Competences

Services

sequa ensures high-quality project/programme development and management. This includes the content-related design and impact-oriented implementation of projects, as well as their proper administrative handling. sequa’s services cover the following fields of activity:

As the programme administrator, sequa designs, coordinates and has the responsibility for the entire administration of a programme (including any possible sub-projects).
As the project manager, sequa offers professional project planning and implementation in all phases of the project cycle, from project identification, assessment and planning to reporting, accounting and impact monitoring.
In addition, sequa’s internal and external experts provide training and consulting services in all our business segments. sequa maintains an extensive network of such experts.

Topics

The thematic focus of sequa's work is the promotion of the private sector. sequa represents the model of a social and ecological market economy for sustainable development based on entrepreneurial initiatives and appropriate framework conditions. In this sense, sequa is involved in numerous projects and programmes. For this, sequa can rely on its own expertise, the comprehensive know-how of its shareholders, and a broad network of experts. sequa offers specific competence and experience in the business segments:

Capacity building for chambers and associations

BMO capacity building is a core competency of sequa and has turned sequa into an internationally recognized competence centre in this field. There is no other organisation in the world that has conducted more BMO promotion projects.

sequa’s network of cooperation partners includes a multitude of different chambers and associations in more than 80 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe. sequa has not only successfully realized numerous BMO capacity building projects for diverse donor organisations (BMZ, GIZ, EU, IFC) but also developed manuals and standards, documented best practices and conducted trainings.

sequa’s portfolio comprises organisational development, advocacy and corporate services. In addition to sequa’s own expertise, the organisation also has direct access to the vast BMO network of the German private sector via its stakeholders, BDA, BDI, DIHK and ZDH.

Vocational education and training

Vocational education and training (VET) is a core issue of development cooperation. It is the basis for an independent income and a competitive economy. sequa’s services for practice-oriented VET focus on a direct knowledge transfer together with Germany’s VET institutions and the utilization of the expertise they offer.

On this basis, sequa always endeavours to directly integrate local businesses into vocational education processes, foster on-the-job learning and promote public-private cooperation on all levels. It is sequa’s goal to make vocational education and training as demand- and practice-oriented as possible.

Since sequa focusses on the micro- and meso-level, our main addressees in the partner countries are private companies, vocational training centres, chambers, associations, certification bodies as well as VET agencies. Thanks to our stakeholders BDA, BDI, DIHK and ZDH, sequa is able to directly mobilize the competences of Germany‘s business membership organisations: chambers and associations in Germany run more than 80 VET centres. The 576 trainingcentres of the skilled crafts organisations alone employ 15,000 trainers and offer some 100,000 VET courses each year. The chambers of industry and commerce, in turn, offer around 25,000 training events for 350,000 participants annually, covering both commercial and technical topics.

Trade Promotion

Improving the export opportunities of small and medium-sized companies from our partner countries is in line with the goals of the Agenda 2030 for inclusive and sustainable economic development. One instrument of German development policy in this context is the Import Promotion Desk (IPD) which was jointly established by sequa and the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA). The IPD promotes trade capacities in the partner countries and provides access to the European market. IPD’s staff are familiar with the specific conditions in the various markets and trade routes, are able to judge the relevant European demand and possess a broad range of buyer contacts.

sequa’s activities for companies from the partner countries comprise the establishment of contacts to interested importers as well as visits to, and participation at, relevant trade fairs in Germany and other European countries; the organisation of buying and sales missions; the provision of specific market data as well as tailor-made training courses for exporters from the partner countries. Specialising in the sectors „fresh fruit and vegetables“, „natural ingredients for food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products“, „technical wood“, „cut flowers“ and „tourism“, sequa offers market entry, business initiation and capacity development services.

Product sheets

Up to a certain degree, sequa’s experience in project design and implementation can be standardised and used for similar purposes. sequa has therefore compiled information sheets which provide an overview of the contents, application and effects of these “products”.

Information sheets on the following sequa products are available: