AIMD Finally Gets to Start Association Building in Georgia
 Copyright Association Trends, 2004 - Reprinted by Permission

Contact
Sebastian Schnettler

Date
January 16, 2004




Plexus Consulting Group, LLC
1620 Eye Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20006
Phone:  202-785-8940
Fax:      202-785-8949
Email:   info@plexusconsulting.com

After some delays - chiefly the overthrow of a government - Association International Market Development is proceeding with its contract to bring associations into the Republic of Georgia as consultants.

AIMD last week also obtained another contract in Uganda.

AIMD is a project of the Center for Association Leadership, Washington, and Plexus Consulting Group, in which 15 associations have paid to be members of a coalition that seeks government-funded international development contracts (see 4/18, p. 1).

The Georgia contract was obtained through working with BearingPoint, a worldwide business consulting firm. Steve Worth of Plexus, who heads the AIMD projects, was to have gone to Georgia last fall to shore up the contract. That was delayed due to the "rose revolution," which was the overthrow of that country's national government. Now that the Georgian government has become more stable, the project can move forward, Worth said. "All the recent developments in Georgia that we have read about in the newspapers have very positive implications for this project," he said.

The contract is for 5 years and has a $400K budget for the first 2 years. This may grow in the future, "depending on our performance in the first 2 years as well as the needs we have identified while on the ground," Worth said. He said he expects that the 15 associations that have invested in AIMD will get part of the contract.

Under this contract, association executives will go to Georgia to train association executives there in best management techniques, especially in public affairs programs, but also in other disciplines. Also, Georgian executives might come to the US to train with associations here.

Worth hopes to have an AIMD project team in Georgia in March.

Also last week, AIMD obtained a multiyear contract through Chemonics International, a global consulting firm promoting economic growth and higher living standards in developing countries. The contract is to place consultants with Ugandan officials on capacity building.

The next AIMD meeting will be in March, and will feature contracting officers from USAID and the US Commerce Department, who will discuss the do's and don'ts of proposal writing and bidding. Details: www.aimd.net.