SIYB is an international programme developed by the International Labour Organization with financial assistance from the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
The development objective of the SIYB programme is to contribute towards economic growth and the creation of quality employment through supporting small business start-ups and improvement in performances of existing enterprises.
The immediate objectives of the programme are to enable:

• local partner BDS organizations in the project countries to effectively and independently implement SIYB training and related follow up activities
• small scale entrepreneurs to start and grow sustainable businesses and to create employment opportunities in the process.

SIYB’s Institutional Approach
The SIYB programme was designed around an institutional approach. Based on the assumption that local SIYB partner organizations are important for the development of the national economies, the SIYB Regional Project Office builds the capacity of local Business Development Services (BDS) organizations to effectively and independently implement SIYB training and related activities.

The ultimate beneficiaries of the SIYB programme are entrepreneurs that want to start or grow their own businesses (see also target groups). The SIYB program reaches these entrepreneurs via the BDS organizations. The BDS organizations are the immediate beneficiaries of the SIYB programme. This institutional approach of the programme enables the SIYB programme to multiply its capacity to reach as many small-scale entrepreneurs in large numbers.

The SIYB programme uses a multiplier strategy. Rather than directly training entrepreneurs in the six project countries, the ILO-SIYB Regional Project Office trains SIYB Master Trainers in the project countries. The Master Trainers in turn train SIYB trainers who are responsible for entrepreneurs in the different packages. Some of the trainers are employed within BDS organizations while others are independent, private trainers.

The SIYB Training of Trainers (TOT) programme
One way of building capacity within BDS organizations to effectively and independently implement SIYB training and related follow up activities is through training of SIYB trainers. Once an organization is selected as a partner organization in the SIYB programme, it nominates candidates for a TOT seminar. SIYB trainers are the heart-piece of the programme and form the driving force behind entrepreneurial activities. A rigorous selection criteria and process is therefore applied and followed in selecting suitable trainers
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Candidates that have been selected for training, attend a two-week TOT seminar. Seminar participants are expected to plan and conduct SIYB training immediately upon returning to their organizations. They are assisted in the process through technical back-up support of the Master Trainers. TOT participants who successfully complete the training and conduct entrepreneurial activities, including follow-ups, are then certified as competent SIYB trainers.

The SIYB Training of Master Trainers (TOMT) programme
SIYB trainers who are highly motivated and have a demonstrated track record in training entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the Training of Master Trainers' (TOMT) programme. The objective of the Master Trainers' programme is to enable participants to effectively implement the various aspects of the SIYB programme in the project countries. Selection is also done following a rigorous process to ensure that the most suitable candidates are trained. This is because Master Trainers form the backbone of the SIYB programme. It is through the Master Trainers that the SIYB programme can be made sustainable.
Master Trainers are responsible for marketing the SIYB programme, selecting new partner organizations as well as training and developing trainers, specifically, Master Trainers have the following key roles:

• Marketing the SIYB programme
• Selecting new partner organizations
• Organizing and conducting trainer development programmes
• Quality control of the SIYB programme
• Material adaptations
• Conducting SIYB impact assessment and evaluation

TOMT participants are not automatically certified upon successfully completing the seminar. Prior to final certification, potential Master Trainers have to prove in the field their ability to organize and conduct TOT seminars. The ILO-SIYB RPO assesses them during training, ascertaining in particular the following competencies in the process: how marketing of the SIYB programme and selecting partner organizations was done; how the TOT is organized and conducted, management capability demonstrated during the process as well as follow up on the trainers trained. Upon satisfactory performance, they are then fully certified as SIYB Master Trainers and are eligeble for a licence.

How to access SIYB
To obtain further information about the SIYB programme, please contact:
ILO-SIYB Regional Project Office for Eastern and Southern Africa
101 Kwame Nkrumah Avenue
P. O. Box 3474
Harare, Zimbabwe
secretariat@ilosiyb.co.zw