Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
2000 M Street NW
Suite 250
Washington, DC 20036
Tel: 202-589-2600
Email: iesc@iesc.org
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Expert Volunteer Technical Assistance
Throughout our history, IESC has set a global standard for leveraging volunteers’ technical expertise to catalyze private sector growth and employment. Our volunteers bring invaluable expertise to their global neighbors, sharing knowledge, building mutual trust, and creating economic opportunity. Today, IESC strategically draws upon volunteer experts on select programs—particularly our USAID Farmer-to-Farmer programs—where they strengthen capacity, support program participants to achieve their goals, and make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve.
“I believe that only by understanding others can we gain understanding for ourselves. I believe in a world where everyone shares information, so that collective knowledge increases. I learn something new every day I volunteer.”
– IESC volunteer expert and 2016 Volunteer of the Year (VEGA) Lynda Swenson
“All the work I have done in agriculture and agribusiness can now be used to help transform the lives of others.”
– IESC volunteer expert Melody Meyer
Program Examples
Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka
Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance (F2F A2F)
Funder: USAID
IESC volunteer expert Deneen Rief (right) helping farmers in Tanzania improve their practices
Program overview: The volunteer-driven Farmer-to-Farmer Program expanded agricultural sector access to financial services and increased agricultural sector productivity and profitability, thereby raising incomes and creating jobs. The core countries for the Farmer-to-Farmer Access to Finance Program (F2F A2F) were Kenya, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka.
Relation to IESC expertise: F2F A2F exclusively leveraged volunteer technical assistance to strengthen the bankability of agricultural borrowers and the operational capacity of financial institutions to expand agricultural lending. IESC fielded 180 distinct volunteer assignments to deliver training to more than 7,000 individuals, including nearly 4,000 women and youth. The volunteer technical assistance facilitated by IESC resulted in 150 new financial products and services developed, nearly 106,000 agricultural loans disbursed valued at $69.3 million, and more than $11 million in sales.
Sri Lanka
Market-Oriented Dairy (MOD)
Funder: USDA Food for Progress
IESC volunteer expert Pieter Kloosterman training dairy farmers on hoof trimming
Program overview: MOD supports farmers and other dairy enterprises to meet the demands of the local dairy sector in a commercially sustainable way. The program implements activities to increase the levels and value of milk produced by participating farmers. It also improves the availability of and access to quality inputs for dairy farming, and enhances dairy product safety through adherence to proper feeding regimens, management practices, and technology.
Relation to IESC expertise: Through MOD, IESC provides various forms of technical assistance for dairy sector stakeholders, including local partners, program staff, international consultants, and volunteers. IESC has drawn on its extensive volunteer database to field several highly specialized international volunteers to deliver targeted training and capacity building to farmers and dairy enterprises in Sri Lanka. IESC volunteer experts provided technical expertise in extension systems, hoof trimming, and biodigestion system development. Based on the value of the labor provided by volunteers, IESC leveraged more than $200,000 of additional resources to expand MOD’s impact.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Workforce and Higher Access to Markets (WHAM)
Funder: USAID
IESC volunteer expert Wael Gamaleldin (second from right) analyzed the competitiveness of the textile and footwear sectors in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Program overview: WHAM assisted high-growth, exporting, and export-ready small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in specific sectors through grants and volunteer technical assistance that improved the workforce. IESC helped companies identify and access new customers and markets, and introduce quality management systems, technology upgrades, and necessary certifications in demand by target markets, especially the EU. WHAM also supported the establishment of centers of excellence in the targeted sectors.
Relation to IESC expertise: Through WHAM, IESC leveraged specialized volunteer technical assistance to stimulate job creation by advancing Bosnia and Herzegovina’s trade integration with the EU. The volunteer assistance enhanced the impact of WHAM’s grants program and ensured sustainable capacity growth in grantee SMEs. For instance, highly skilled volunteer experts worked in the wood sector, where they strengthened SMEs’ capacity and prepared them for the International Furniture and Interiors Fair held annually in Cologne, Germany. In the automotive/metal sector, volunteers promoted and provided profitable long-term contracts for SMEs linking them to EU markets.