Mini MBA Program

I
Technical Report
of
Mini MBA Program for CEOs of ICT Companies in Gaza
April 2013

II
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... III
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................1
Program Initiation............................................................................................................................3
Planning............................................................................................................................................4
Executing..........................................................................................................................................7
Evaluation ......................................................................................................................................12
Testimonials...................................................................................................................................17
Challenges......................................................................................................................................19
Recommendations.........................................................................................................................20

III
Executive Summary
Through its continuous efforts towards positioning the Palestinian ICT sector as coded
for success ICT destination, PITA moves on with a new initiative to contribute in building
a base of sufficient qualified human capital to boost the ICT sector in addition to
enhancing the competitiveness of Palestinian ICT enterprises in the local and
international markets which are considered two of its main strategic goals.
In this regard and within a partnership with the PSDP/ Deutsche Gesellschaft für
Internationale Zusammenarbeit - GIZ, a mini MBA program has been conceptualized to
further enrich the senior managerial and business skills of ICT companies CEOs in Gaza
through conducting a mini MBA that serves in opening new horizons for strategic
management and business networks.
The Mini MBA Program was implemented by Lighthouse Training Center and accredited
from Chicago Institute of Business and Cairo University. The program covered eight
modules by Egyptian experts with international experience, the modules ranged from
Marketing, Sales, HR, Strategic Management, Project Management to Accounting and
Microeconomics for 99 hours. In Cairo, Egypt four ICT leaders from Gazan ICT
companies from different subsectors were selected to participate in the program that
took place from 12 to 25 April.
In addition to the program accredited certifications, the participants gained value from
business networking through training days with experts in regional and international
markets.
The overall evaluation of the program was excellent with high level of satisfaction.
Taking into consideration some faced challenges from planning to program closing such
as crossing problems, tailored ICT material for mastering business administration and
others could make this program a recommended one for the top managerial levels in
ICT companies.
Final recommendations came out from this program suggests implementing tailored
programs for several managerial levels of ICT companies as detailed in the
recommendation section.

1
Envisioning a Palestinian nation that nurtures innovation and contributes to world
knowledge, PITA, in consultation with all players in the ICT ecosystem, has established
its three-year strategy for the development of the private ICT sector with the purpose of
leading it towards an innovation-based economy. Accordingly, PITA is running several
projects under each pillar of the strategy to further accomplish the desired goals and
establish itself as a thought leader and a principal fixture in the make-up of the
technology industry scene in Palestine.
One of PITA's strategic goals is to contribute in building a base of sufficient qualified
human capital in Palestine to boost the ICT sector which is playing a vital role in the
Palestinian economy as it was characterized by its fast development and growth
representing 8% of the Palestinian GDP. This growth in the Palestinian ICT sector has
created a new demand for well-trained ICT professionals in which the 3-year Private ICT
Sector strategy has identified the need for skillful and talented workforce as one of the
most critical issues that needs to be addressed.
Another key factor player to lead the ICT sector towards an innovation-based economy
is to enhance the competitiveness of Palestinian ICT enterprises in the local and
international markets. This goal aims at strengthening the capacities of ICT enterprises
to manage, market and sell in addition to improving the Palestinian ICT enterprises’
ability to access markets.
Under this pillar, PITA has conducted a Global Training Program, a PITA members
capacity building program that covered the most of management and administrative
aspects and soft skills of Project Design & Proposal writing, Project life cycle, Business
Planning, Marketing and sales, Product and service management, Finance, Legal
environment, Human Resources Management and Communications management.
For this specific purpose of developing ICT human talent in Palestine and developing ICT
Enterprises, Palestinian IT Association of Companies PITA in partnership with the PSDP/
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) launched this Mini MBA
program.
Introduction

2
Closing
Evaluation, Final reporting and Closure of program
Execution and Control
Contracting, Implementation of Program Activities
Planning
Program plan, Scheduling, Estimated Budget, Responsabilities
Initiation
Needs assesment, Feasibility, Goal setting, Final Concpet note
To successfully implement the mini MBA program as an effective, efficient and
sustainable program; the following process has been undertaken with ongoing
monitoring to control the taken steps :

3
The specific rationality of the program depended on gathering interested members
needs and previous recommendations to be cross-matched with the available regional
programs in order to tailor the desired program.
Having implemented the Global Training program that targeted 28 ICT companies in
Gaza for upper and middle management, one of its recommendations was the
implementation of a mini MBA program that targets the upper level management in the
ICT companies. Meanwhile, a mini MBA program has started in West bank for PITA
members; this drove fast the interest of members to conduct a similar program in Gaza.
Responding to members needs in Gaza, a deep search has been done on Mini MBA
programs in the region that is convenient to enrich the senior managerial and business
skills of the ICT companies’ CEOs through conducting an accredited program that
serves in opening new horizons of strategic management and business opportunities,
in addition to networking activities.
General expression of interest was collected via Gaza members list to determine
potential candidates which will support the designing of the program.
For those findings PITA took the lead to cross-match the needs of members that were
taken into consideration, besides their recommendation through the previous
conducted programs with the available regional programs. Final findings were translated
into a concept note within a prelimary charter to be adopted by the donor.
This concept note was the term of reference opened through a call for proposal to all
consultants/ consultancy firms that are interested to implement the program through
regional partnership. As the tendering process didn’t end up with a proposal that fully
matches the reference, the alternative was to seek a regional consultant to provide
short term consultancy services for the training program and B2B activities.
Previous
Recom-
mendat-
ions
Interested
Members
Needs
Available
Regional
Programs
Initiation

4
During the planning phase, the scope of the Mini MBA program was clearly set declaring
its specific goal within a scheduled timeframe and estimated budget.
Overall Objective
Based on Global Training outcomes and to further contribute in developing ICT
enterprises and ICT human talents, Mini MBA program came to enrich the senior
managerial and business skills of ICT companies CEOs in Gaza through conducting a
credential mini MBA program that serves in opening new horizons for strategic
management and business networks.
Scope & Activities
The program was planned be implemented including two main components: a mini MBA
accredited from an international university in addition to networking that would be in
the form of B2B meetings and IT tour.
In Cairo, Egypt 8 leaders, managers and executives of ICT companies in Gaza who are
working on raising their professional capabilities and increasing their business
productivity would get benefit from these components as indicated below:
Component 1: Credential Mini MBA
The program would be executed by Lighthouse Training Center and accredited from
Chicago Institute of Business, the Mini MBA program is proposed to be conducted
covering those modules:
1. Strategic Management.
2. Microeconomics
3. Marketing
4. Financial Accounting.
5. Sales.
6. Project Management.
7. Quality Management.
8. Strategic HR Management
Planning

5
Component2 : Networking
A value added of the program is to organize B2B between local companies that
participate in the Mini MBA program and leading companies in the visiting country for
networking that serves for ICT business environment enhancement and potential
business opportunities.
Activities Scheduling
Expected Results
1- Eight ICT leaders attended 99 hours of Mini MBA program.
2- After completing Mini MBA , each trainee would receive 3 certificates – within
45 days of exam completion- :
a) Certificate from Chicago Institute of Business, attested from Illinois State
and the US Embassy in Cairo, Egypt.
b) Certificate from Cairo University, attested from the Egyptian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
c) Certificate from Lighthouse Training Centre.
3- B2B meetings conducted between Palestinian and Egyptian companies for
potential future cooperation or partnership.

6
Final List of Potential Candidates
Company Participant Name Company Profile
1 Future Tech. Mohamad Elalami http://www.futuretech.ps/
2 Jamal Sons Ismail Haboush http://www.pita.ps/content/jamal-sons-
telecom-computer-system-ltd
3 Vision Plus Mohammed Agha http://www.pita.ps/content/vision-plus
4 Vision Plus Ashraf Yazouri http://www.pita.ps/content/vision-plus
5 Jerusalem IT Ayman Bakroun http://www.pita.ps/content/jerusalem-
information-technology
6 Al Qudwa Belal Qudwa http://www.pita.ps/content/ahmed-al-
qudwa-sons-company
7 Mashareq Sami Hijo Www.mashareq.ps
8 PITA Lina Shamia
Travel and Logistical Preparations
All logistical preparations with the assistance of the technical and logistical support
officer would be taken into consideration including visa for underage participants, travel
tickets, transportations from and to crossing. The Arrangements to be made with Luxor
Towers.

7
Timeline
The program was implemented between 12th
– 25th
of April 2013 with four ICT leaders
from FutureTech, JIT, Vision Plus Co. with the join of the program coordinator from
PITA. The training courses started from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM per 11 days at Golden
Tulip, Flamenco Cairo Hotel (the same hotel of accommodation).
Daily Activities
Module I : Marketing
The program started with Marketing Module. An
interactive 18 hours covered on two days. with an
international expert in Marketing Dr. Ibrahim
Hegazy- Associate Professor of Marketing
at AUC.
The training module covered hot topics in
Marketing such as Modern Marketing
Overview, Service Marketing, Strategic
Marketing, Marketing Research, Marketing
Intelligence, Communication Plan and
Marketing Strategies for SMEs. Those
modules discussed in depth the difference
between Marketing and Sales,
understanding customer needs, the core
marketing concepts and their critical Cs, the
marketing process, marketing mix and others.
Component Timeline ( April )
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Arrival
Mini MBA Program
Networking
Departure
Execution
Beyond selling. Marketing is a
Managerial Orientation not
just a Function

8
The training focused on local and international case studies in addition to practical
scenarios that flavored the course with untraditional discovering of marketing world
Module II : Sales
The second module discussed was Sales with Dr. Yehia Gamal Eldin, an instructor of
sales in AUC. To sell an idea, product or
service; an orientation of bidirectional
discussion included Learning adaptive selling
for relationship building that focused on the
selling process, recognizing social styles to
understand customer expectations.
Prospecting, Planning and Making the Sales
call, SPIN Technique, Strengthening the
Customer Presentation, Responding to
Objections, and Obtaining Commitment.
The training session was powered by real
stories from real salesman in real situations.
Module III : Project Management
Mastering how to manage projects is one of
the essential parts of the training program in
which the participants learnt through a dual
linked sharing of expertise by the Dr. Emad
Elwy. The module focused in depth on
understanding the nature of projects, its
lifecycle, WBS, scheduling operations,
network problem CPM & PERT, logistics and
demand forecasting and ending with project
aggregate planning.
You don’t close a sale, you open a relationship if you want to build a long-term, successful enterprise

9
Module IV : Strategic Human Resource Management
Dr. Randa ElZoghby, a National Advisor explained what HR management is and how it
relates to the management process, Job analysis and talent management , Personal
planning and recruiting, Training and developing employees, performance management
and appraisal, employee retention engagement and careers.
The HR module discussed several international case studies that highlight real life
scenarios of working with HR as an essential capital of any organization.
Module V: Strategic Management
Strategic management was one of the most interesting modules that the participants
were looking for. Strategic foundation of business planning is one of the core principles
that business depends on and for that Dr. Randa started her sessions by identifying the
management process, organizational resources, the importance of planning. Then, the
principles and areas of planning and its purpose were discussed.
The strategic planning module ABCDE was the heart of the presentation in which the
participants learnt how to make assessment through SWOT, BCG, Five Forces and how
to create a baseline of organizational profile to tailor the components of mission, vision,
guiding principles and values of the organization and goals, objectives developing. Then,
down to specifics a discussion was made of initiatives, action plans, measurements and
targets ended with Scenario planning in order to get familiar with the control processes
as evaluation.
“No one can whistle a symphony.
It takes a whole orchestra.”

10
Module VI: Total Quality Management
It was time to adopt new philosophy in a world of mistakes in which defective products/ services
are considered as if they were necessary to life; from this approach Dr. Shaymaa ElSawabi,
Professor at SDMC tailored its training towards full understanding of the
importance of Quality as a
dynamic element applied
not just to product and
services, but to the people,
the processes and their
environment. A coherent
discussion of Quality Gap
Analysis, Quality challenges, costs and
benefits in addition to focusing on QFD, 6
sigma, ISO and total quality tools. The two
days training were enriched by global
contradictory scenarios and case studies.
Module VII, VIII: Accounting and Microeconomics
The last modules trained by Dr. Farid Algarhy – Assistant Professor of Accounting at ASU
covered financial issues from a high management level in which managers can cope with
the financial situations in the local, regional and global environment as an example a
deep understanding was made of the Global Financial Crisis. In regards to the micro
environment, a heavy focus was made on how to read the financial reports and why to
analyze them.
Quality is
everyone's
responsibility

11
Final Exam
After the eight modules were covered during ten days, the group passed a Mini MBA
exam in every module testing their understanding and knowledge gained through the
training.
Final Ceremony
In the presence of the professors, the four participants gave final presentations about
the value added to their businesses through which each participant briefed the direct,
indirect values, the change made to their thoughts and practices in their working
environment. The four participants gained their training center certificate of program
completion, after 45 days of the exam’s date, accredited certificates from Chicago Institute of
Business and Cairo University will be delivered. The last day initiated having special business
meetings and tour inside the city before getting back to Gaza on 25th
of April 2013.

12
Evaluation
(3)
Results Findings
Quantifying Performance
Measures
Evaluation Key Findings
(1)
Data collection
• After Course
Questionnaire
• Focus group
• Observations
• Testimonials
(2)
Data entry and
Analysis
• Excel
• Gathering and compiling the
recommendations and the
similar qualitative analysis
within a conceptual model.
To effectively and efficiently evaluate the training program, different means of
evaluation were taken to provide powerful qualitative and quantitative analysis that led
to results and findings can be taken into consideration for the future.
Methods of approach

13
Results Finding : Quantifying Performance Measures
Based on after training course questionnaires, the following figuers summerized the
participants feedback taken through ongoing monitoring as :
1
2
3
4
5
6
Was the content of this course relevant
to practical life?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Can you incorporate concepts learned
during the course into your daily work
right away?

14
1
2
3
4
5
6
Clarity of presentation
1
2
3
4
5
6
Case studies and exercises
1
2
3
4
5
6
Audio - visual aids

15
1
2
3
4
5
6
Did the trainer give enough time for
discussion and questions?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Did the trainer use appropriate and
understanding language?
1
2
3
4
5
6
Did the trainer stick to the planned schedule?

16
Conclusive Trend
The participants found that the program material and trainers were excellent.
Results Finding : Evaluation Key Findings
Effectiveness
Looking at factors like successful outreach, mission fulfillment and participants satisfaction
ensures that the program was highly effective as declared also within the testimonials of the
participants.
Efficiency
In terms of time, the program met its planned period to be implemented within 11 days of 99
hours with high commitment from participants.
Impact
Four ICT leaders had intensive training in hot topics of business and managerial aspects under a
Mini MBA which would be reflected in the short and long term on their businesses. One of the
good indicators is the intention of some participants to restructure their organization HR
employing new learnt concepts into their mechanisms, procedures and approaches.
Relevance
The program was relevant to the needs of the participants as assessed and mostly tailored for
ICT which made it a success.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Did the trainer use relevant examples to
practical life?

17
Testimonials
Trainers Testimonials
I have been in academia for the past 23 years giving training and
teaching worldwide, therefor I do carefully select the programs that I
join. I thank all the program stakeholders as I think that they selected
the right people, I was extremely impressed by your knowledge and the
focus you gave. From the first day, I noticed that am training talented
people who are looking to change “
Dr. Ibrahim Hegazy
Professor of Marketing Course
“I am standing in front of talents, I was happy with all your interactions“
Dr. Randa ElZoghby
Professor of Strategic Management Course
“Although project management is one of the most difficult courses, you
were communicative and having the passion. Thanks to your attentive
personalities and thanks to the coordinators of the program “
Dr. Emad Elwy
Professor of Project Management Course

19
During the panning phase of the program, potential challenges were identified with a
possible undertakings as noted below :
1- Finding Accredited Mini MBA Program
Available Mini MBA Programs have either attendance or certificate of
completion only. To add value for the program, we were looking for an
accredited program from an international University.
2- Cross- Match between the program modules and the participants’ background.
To respond to members needs, careful checking was made per the trainers and
training material so that every module could fully match the desired level and
content.
3- Tailored courses for mastering business administration with ICT flavor.
Based on the Global Training Program, one of the most important
recommendations was to tailor any upcoming program with ICT specialty. Most
of the administrative and managerial programs targeting ICT companies lack
from the modern concepts that fulfills the information technology nature, this
pushed towards a bigger effort to design such a program.
4- Commitment of potential candidates for program.
Although several members could be interested, not all of them are committed.
One of the ways to ensure commitment is to work on a deposit approach next
time.
Other challenges could not be under control which implies longer time for other tries.
One of them was:
5- Crossing Problems.
Despite all the efforts were made to guarantee that under age participants will be
easily crossing, due to high security issues from Egyptian side some plans were
cancelled.
Challenges

20
The Mini MBA Program was one of the initiatives that aimed to make a difference at the
managerial and business orientation levels, serving into the development of ICT human
talents in Gaza and ICT enterprise development.
Still the challenges faced during the program and indicated earlier are an area that
should be taken into consideration to build on high quality initiatives. The program was
learning oriented and knowledge based coming out with several recommendations from
participants that could be base for future programs as indicated hereinafter:
1- Conducting of Programs targeting top management at ICT companies such as
Mini MBAs, PMPs and leadership programs in different regions.
2- Establishing designed programs for middle management such as technical and
soft skills short courses.
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