Thanks for a successful 2016

A big thank you to all our clients and partners in 2016. During the year EMC worked on 80 projects, for around 40 various investors, development partners and government clients.

We covered a broad number of thematic areas across business consulting, economic & social research, private sector development and  evaluations. Some notable highlights included:

Field research team in China

International work. EMC continued to do more work outside our core markets of Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar – in 2016 this included Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Gaza.

Business consulting.  We worked for some global firms, supporting investors in Microfinance,  Banking, Building Materials and Logistics sectors. Those clients’ planned or actual investments ranged from US$10 million to >US$ 200 million.  We also worked with smaller SMEs and social businesses on fund raising and strategy, during in 2016 this included web services, IT, tourism, healthcare, and light manufacturing. After launching 1 year ago, the WECREATE Women’s entrepreneur centre is now running at full capacity, and we handed over to new management.  

Handover ceremony for WECREATE centre in Phnom Penh

Green growth. Building on previous work in the energy and water sectors, we worked for the Global Green Growth Institute (in Laos and Cambodia), Institute for Essential Service Reform (Myanmar and Cambodia), and completed more projects in the solar sector. We also enjoyed an inaugural collaboration with Rockefeller Foundation and Bridgespan Group, looking at opportunities for high impact solutions to social, economic environmental issues in Asia.

On a related issue, we looked at drivers of cross-border migration for USAID – a key stressor of socioeconomic development in Cambodia.

Lee undertaking research in Laos

Trade and Investment. We worked on time release studies (Laos), process analyses of import licensing and business registration (Laos and Myanmar) and trade and investment opportunities in services. As ever, AEC integration was represented – we looked at labor mobility across CLMV for GIZ and opportunities and constraints to RVC integration for Lao SMEs.

Programme Evaluations and Assessments. We worked for many of the leading development organisations to assess their programs. In 2016 this included organisations such as Norwegian Refugee Council, Swiss Development Cooperation, Plan International, Save the Children, Welt Hunger Hilfe, SNV, CARE, World Vision, Voluntary Services Overseas. Thematic areas included private sector development, trade, social infrastructure programmes, DRR, school feeding, child protection, and others.

Thank you for your support during 2016

and wish you all the best for 2017.