The document discusses the development of an export promotion strategy for Macedonia's software and IT services industry. It describes how MASIT led the creation of a working group with government and educational institutions to develop the strategy over several workshops from 2008-2010. While waiting to be adopted as an official government strategy, MASIT has begun implementing aspects of the operational plan with support from GTZ. The strategy aims to increase coordination, communication, and information sharing between industry and government to better promote the country's software exports.

1. Export Promotion Strategy for the
Macedonian Software and IT Services
Industry
- the role of MASIT in it’s
implementation
Predrag Radojičić
MASIT, SW&IT Services Committee
Chairman
8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
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2. Brief description of history of the project (1/2)
- Started second half 2008 as idea from MASIT and supported by
GTZ
- Successfully lobbying to government/educational institution to take
part in working group:
– Ministry od Economy
– Ministry of Information sociaty
– Ministry of transport and telecomunication
– Ministry of education and science
– Agency for Promotion of Entrepreneurship of Macedonia
– Agency for Foreign Investments of Macedonia
– Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies,
University "St. Ciryl and Methodius" – Skopje
– Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, University "St. Cyril and
Methodius" - Skopje
– Institute of Economy, University "St. Ciryl and Methodius" – Skopje
8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

3. Brief description of history of the project (2/2)
- Other stakeholder which take part in working group:
– Member of MASIT
– USAID
– SIPPO
– MBPR (Macedonian Bank for Development Promotion)
Starting /launching project in march 2009 with first workshop
- Held five more workshops till end of the year when first draft of the
Strategy was presented in front of the working group
- Finalizing strategy in January 2010 (with operational plan)
- Starting to promote the strategy in front of all stakeholders
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4. Curent situation
• Strategy was distributed and presented to all major stakeholders from
government bodies:
– Ministry od Economy
– Cabinet of Vice Priminister for economic issues
– Ministry of Information sociaty
– Ministry of transport and telecomunication
– Ministry of education and science
– Ministry of foreign affairs
– Ministry of finance
…. WAITING FOR ADOPTION AS GOVERNMENT STRATEGY
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14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

5. MEANWHILE, ….WHAT WE DONE
• Strategy was adopted by MASIT
Management board
• Proceed successfully cooperation with
GTZ now in implementation of the strategy
itself (budget is allocated)
• GTZ organize workshop presenting the
next steps and dedication of implementing
part of the operational plan for 2010 - 2012
8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

6. Project Management & Organization
Success factors for implementing a collaborative strategy:
• Close coordination
• Regular communication
• Exchange of information
• Clearly defined responsibilities
• Clearly defined processes
• Accurate reporting and documentation
• Learning consistently
• Cross-functional teams
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14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org 6

7. Key Instrument for Strategy Implementation:
Operational Plan
Measure
Activity
Task
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8. Key Instrument for Strategy Implementation:
Operational Plan
Operational Plan: Task
Description
• Task
• Expected results
• Result indicators
• Timing
• Responsibilities
• Budget
• Activities
• Deliverables
• Timetable (Gantt chart)
• Milestones
 Timeline: 3 years
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9. Organizational Structure
Assembly
Advisory
Board
Board
of
Directors
Tasks
Steering
Committee - implementation
Managing Office - coordination
Export Promotion
Strategy - monitoring & evaluation
Committee for Software&IT
domestic IT Services ICT Experts
business Committee Council
Task Force: Task Force: Task Force:
Task Force: Task Force: Task Force:
Branding & Cluster & Investment
Export Policy Export Capabilities Excallence & Quality
Positioning Collaboration Promotion
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10. 10
Organizational Structure
No. Unit Staffing Tasks
1 Board of Directors • MASIT representatives • Approval of the
organizational structure
2 Steering • Selected members of the • Coordination
Committee Export working group • Approval of tasks
Promotion • Board members of • Reporting & comunication
Strategy MASIT • Control
• Monitoring & evaluation
3 Task Forces • Task force manager (SC) • Implementation of
(1-6) • Members of the working measures and
group corresponding tasks
• Stakeholder reps. • Reporting to Steering
• MASIT member Committee (SC)
companies
• Consultants (GTZ)
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11. Implementation Process
Proposed Process:
1. Formation of Steering Committee
2. Steering Committee establishes Task Forces (1-6) and appoints Task Force Managers
3. Steering Committee approves tasks and corresponding budgets (based on Operational
Plan)
4. Task Forces start implementation of tasks according to prioritization (1-3) and timetable
5. Task forces conduct internal team-meetings on a monthly basis (self-managing teams)
6. Steering Committee conducts coordination meeting with task force managers every two
months (reporting & task implementation review based on deliverables and indicators)
7. Steering Committee and Task Forces review and update OP (every 6 months)
8. Steering Committee defines completion of measures and activities based on
deliverables and indicators
9. Completion of implementation
10. Monitoring & evaluation
11. Restart strategy development cycle
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12. Information & Knowledge Management
Goals of our Export Knowledge Management System
(SharePoint)
• Providing companies and stakeholders with export-relevant
information (market surveys, training materials, business leads, etc.)
• Creating a “collaborative learning system” (organizational learning)
• Organizational knowledge: transfer of individual stakeholder’s
knowledge to collective knowledge
• Supporting communication, information and cooperation among the
steering committee, members of the task forces and companies
• Adaptation and continuous improvement of the export strategy
• Creating a basis for new, innovative strategic measures
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13. MEANWHILE, ….WHAT WE DONE 2
• SW&IT Servicies committee apointed
responsible person from the members for
each Task force (for each strategic
measures)
• work on refining activity plan in line with
interest of members
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14. Task forces – strategic measures
1. Export promotion policy – Predrag Radojičić – SIMT
2. Int. Branding&Positioning – Vladimir Matevski-SEAVUS
3. Claster collaboration – Nadezda Dimitrovska and Toni
Petreski – INET
4. Export capability&knowladge – Slavčo Bujarovski –
SIGMA SB and Behar Hadzihamza - EUDSOFT
5. Quality&company excelence – Jasmina Trajkovski –
expert council
6. Export oriented investment – Petar Indovski - GORD
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15. WHAT WAS DONE BY GTZ
• MASIT Training Academy start working – first training
was performed for Performance and HR Management
• Preparation of questionary for Industry barometar are in
final phase
• Colaboration platform was promoted and traning for the
executive office was held
• Preparing two additional training are in finall phase
– PMP training
– Training for European tenders
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14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

16. IMPELEMENTATION – CRITICAL FACTORS
 Critical factor for to succesfully implementation of the
strategy are:
- Serious involment of government bodies with
concrete budget for part of the activity plan
- serius involment of all other donor comunity again
with dedicated budget for activity which is in line with
SW /export strategy acivity plan,
- serious involvement of financial institution , banks,
venture capital, supporting financially export activity
of ours company
8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

17. Thank you for your attention
Contact information:
Predrag Radojičić
E-mail: radojicic@simt.com.mk
MASIT, Executive Office
www.masit.org.mk
Tel. + 389 2 32 38 601
E-mail: contact@masit.org.mk
8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org