Technical Assistance
GBF’s capacity building programs are provided through expert consultants and hands-on management support from GBF staff. This technical assistance usually includes improvements to corporate governance, general management, reporting, management information systems (MIS), and business/financial planning. Portfolio companies benefit from GBF’s broad experience in capacity building, as well as its strong ties to leading institutions and providers of technical assistance.
The following represent GBF’s technical assistance focus areas utilized to benchmark progress against desired performance targets:
1) Financial Management
High Impact Businesses often lack the necessary management skills, tools, governance, or financial planning expertise to develop well-managed, financially sustainable business operations. GBF provides support for these companies so they can develop management dashboards, prepare budgets, improve financial analysis and more. Learn more...
2) Operations and Supply Chain Management
To date, GBF has invested in multiple High Impact Businesses in the agribusiness and artisanal sectors. In these sectors, the development of a fair and efficient supply chain is critical to connecting micro-producers at the base of the pyramid to large, value adding processing and marketing organizations. Such investments often require a greater “eco-system” approach of blended investment capital, coordinated partnerships, and technical assistance for micro-producers. Learn more...
3) Legal / Regulatory
As GBF’s portfolio companies grow they often face new regulatory and legal obstacles. These include the necessity to restructure existing entities into a form that improves efficiencies and encourages future investment, formalize a board and corporate governance procedures, comply with new local laws on labor standards, and more. GBF teams with global and local law firms to offer legal assistance to portfolio companies. Learn more...
4) Strategy
GBF supports businesses that are growing, or have the potential for growth if given the appropriate tools and financing. As part of GBF’s technical assistance, GBF staff work with portfolio companies to develop overall strategic plans and budgets that strengthen future businesses’ budgets, HR plans, and allow for operational monitoring. Learn more...
5) Human Capacity and Governance
Obtaining skilled management, including the retention of highly trained staff and adequate advisors, is a primary challenge of high-impact entrepreneurs in developing countries. Capable managers and advisors are integral in streamlining operations, planning expansion, and advising entrepreneurs. GBF has addressed this issue by varying means, often by placing local mid and top-level managers in select High Impact Businesses for extended periods. Learn more...
6) Environmental and Social
GBF incorporates best practices for environmental and social monitoring and improvement by working with its portfolio companies to evaluate their impact – including through the use of tools like the Progress out of Poverty Survey, the GIIRS assessment, verification of reported social impacts and through the development of GBF’s own supplemental processes. Learn more...
