İNGEV

Renewed INGEV ESC Webpage Provides Further Benefits to Users

The website of INGEV Entrepreneurship Support Center (ESC), Turkey’s first and only center providing support to disadvantaged entrepreneurs, has been updated. A collection of trainings and informational notes prepared by INGEV consultants in both Turkish and Arabic have been made available for free in order to assist SMEs in growing their businesses.

Some of the topics you can expect to find on the newly renovated website include:

Effective presentation techniques
Trainings on how to meet different needs of digitalized business life
How to grow from the “birth stage” of your business idea and determine the company and partnership type that best suits your business model
Data bank that will be a reference source for positioning your brand, business development and marketing
Practical information for your company to pay its taxes and SSI debts on time.

Click here to visit the website…

Business Development Center Makes Significant Contribution to Economy in Şanlıurfa

In line with INGEV’s mission to support the development of the economy and trade in Şanlıurfa, the Şanlıurfa Business Development Center continues to provide training and consultancy services to SMEs in the city despite the pandemic. During the online opening event of the center, managers and leaders of INGEV, DRC and the Şanlıurfa Chamber of Industry and Commerce came together to share their thoughts on how the business development center will contribute to the development of Şanlıurfa’s economy and employment:

INGEV President Vural Çakır “Şanlıurfa is one of the cities where social cohesion can be measured best in our country. It is critical that both the host and the refugee population possess professional skills and have access to adequate living conditions and sources of sustainable income in both the short- and long-term.

Halil Ibrahim Peltek, President of Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry ”

“Training qualified personnel with the aim of developing entrepreneurship and employment is top priority for Urfa. Between 2018-2020, 1864 companies were founded in Urfa, which is much higher than the national average. We hope that this will have a lasting positive effect on social cohesion.”

Danish Refugee Council / Dansk Flygtningehjælp Laila Zulkaphil: “Our aim as DRC is to offer a good life for displaced peoples, and for this reason we recognize the importance of Şanlıurfa. We are working to create 53 new start-ups this year in the city.”

INGEV Şanlıurfa Business Development Center has provided entrepreneurship and SME capacity building training to more than 300 beneficiaries so far, and will continue to provide its services with company establishment, legal assistance, consultancy, and networking. These grants and programs aiming to bring new companies into the Şanlıurfa and Kilis business ecosystems are being provided in cooperation with the Danish Refugee Council (the DRC) with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Cooperation and Development and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We completed the first Incubation Program with the participation of 21 entrepreneurs in the Sanliurfa Business Development Center within the scope of our project aimed at improving the capacities of the entrepreneurs living in Sanliurfa and bringing new companies to the Sanliurfa economic ecosystem. 10 entrepreneurs had a chance to get a grant with the detailed and prolonged evaluation of our committee consists of the representatives of INGEV, DRC, and Harran University.

What Training programs will be available in the next term?

The new application period for the Incubation and Small Grant Program was opened in February, with new program training beginning in March. At least 50 people are expected to participate in the current two-month training program, and the training sessions are set to continue into the next period as well for SME owners and employees located in Şanlıurfa and Kilis.

Very High Human Development Districts Announced

During an online conference held by INGEV on January 29th, the results of the 2020 Human Development Index-Districts (HDI-D) were officially announced, with the mayors of the districts who achieved “Very High Human Development” receiving awards. The HDI-D is prepared yearly by INGEV in support of encouraging human development at the district level.

The opening speech of the meeting was given by INGEV President Vural Çakır. Prior to the start of the awards ceremony, Istanbul Policy Center Director Prof. Turkey Fuat Keyman alongside UNDP Turkey UNDP Assistant Resident Representative (Programme) Seher Alacacı Arıner discussed the topic “New Localism and the Vision of Human Development.”

INGEV President Vural Çakır: “While creating 2020 Human Development Index – Districts, we focused on the categories that are effective in determining the roles of local governments.”

IPC Director Prof. Fuat Keyman: “Under New Locality, three are three points that can be carefully evaluated and considered as a suggestion: 1) A City with Virtue 2) A City in Digital Transformation 3) A City with a City Management Coalition.”

UNDP Turkey Assistant Resident Representative (Programme) Seher Alacacı Arıner: “The 2020 Human Development Report analyzes the coexistence of human beings and our planet, which is the defining issue of our age.”

The coordinator of the HDI-D, Prof. Murat Şeker also gave a presentation explaining the HDI-D working system before announcing the results.

Please click on the link to watch the HDI-D event

About HDI-D (Human Development Index – Districts) Study:

The Human Development Index has been published by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) at the country level since 1990. The Human Development Index, considering the income per capita, life expectancy at birth, literacy, and schooling rates, aims to measure human development with education and health data and compare countries.

The importance of local governments and micro applications for human development is increasing

The Human Development Index aims to guide human development at the local level. In today’s world, where localization is increasing, local policy tools that affect human development are also diversifying. The effective use of data-based management tools by local governments on a micro-scale and their support by other stakeholders, especially central governments, increase life quality. İNGEV cares about manageable variables that can affect daily life.

HDI-D 2020 Report and Index covers 188 districts.

Human Development Index – Districts 2020 report, called HDI-D, included all districts within the metropolitan borders and 188 districts with the highest population. Municipalities that did not publish the 2019 Activity Report and/or did not share it with İNGEV were excluded from the report.

HDI-D Index has developed in the 2020 Study, HDI-2020 consists of 9 Sub-Indices and 81 Indicators.

HDI-D development areas were determined within the framework of the results of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) harmonization study carried out with UCLG-MEWA and the results of HDI-Advisory Board. Apart from the sub-indexes of Governance and Transparency, Social Inclusion, Economic Status, Education, Health, Social Life, Environmental Performance to the HDI-D model, which consists of components for social, economic and environmental factors at district level, in the 2020 study, Gender Equality and Transportation and Accessibility Indices are also added. The number of indices increased to 9, the number of indicators increased to 81, and data for 121 indicators were collected.

Along with the detailed examination of municipality activity reports, analysis of central statistics, analysis of the municipality website, and social media accounts, the 2020 report has also expanded the “secret citizen” study and applied to municipalities with “secret citizen” scenarios in a total of 21 issues. Their response levels are also included in the index.

The results are categorized into four main regions: There are 34 districts in the Very High Human Development Zone.

In the HDI-D Index, districts are gathered in 4 main clusters as Very High Human Development, High Human Development, Medium Human Development and Low Human Development. There are 34 districts in the Very High Human Development region in the 2020 report. The districts in the 2020 Very High Human Development Zone (Green Zone) are:

In addition to the Total Human Development Index, there are nine sub-indexes in the study:

In addition to the Human Development Index, which constitutes the total results in the HDI-D 2020 Index, 9 sub-indices are important in guiding local government activities. These sub-indices comprise of Governance and Transparency, Social Inclusion, Economic Status, Education, Health, Social Life, Environmental Performance, Transport and Accessibility and Gender Equality.

The top 5 districts in these indices are as follows:

According to HDI-D 2020 results, the areas where the green zone is least represented are social inclusion, social life, and environmental performance. When the scores of the leading districts at the sub-index level are analyzed, it is seen that the lowest score is in the social inclusion area. According to their average scores in sub-indices, municipalities need to improve in social inclusion, environmental performance, and gender equality.

The enrichment of the number of variables and the districts’ performance led to a change in the District rankings compared to last year.

A team of experts manages the project.
With the general support of INGEV President Vural Çakır, Director for Istanbul University Center for Urban Policy Research, Professor Murat Şeker carries out the report writing. In the project team, İNGEV experts took part in statistical analysis.

Social Cooperatives on the Rise in Turkey

At the focus of the Cooperatives, Social Solidarity Economy in Turkey expands in recent years.

A steady increase in the number of social cooperatives has been observed in Turkey in recent years. According to data compiled by TOBB, it can be seen that the number of cooperatives established in 2019 and 2020 has risen in comparison to the number that have been closed.

Solidarity and collaboration models between local governments and cooperatives are evolving, with residential, business, and agricultural development sectors coming to the fore as the most commonly established cooperatives over the last three years. Additionally, the creation of social cooperatives, which have a different model than traditional organizational and business cooperatives, has also seen an upward trend.

It is clear that these cooperatives are making an impact both economically and socially. Enabling consumers to have fair access to natural, nutritious and clean food, cooperative products have become more popular and widespread on e-commerce platforms. As more and more women are coming together in cooperatives, the positive effects on women’s participation can be clearly observed.

Report Launch Event was held on January 14th

ActHuman Social Inclusion Initiative, a joint venture of İNGEV (Human Development Foundation) and Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), prepared a report to define “Resilient Corporativism for Social Solidarity Economy” and to offer social policy recommendations. The initiative, which established an advisory board consisting of cooperatives, public and international organizations representatives, subsequently identified the social solidarity economy’s needs within a particular focus on cooperatives with a workshop. This report’s highlights were shared with the press members at the launch meeting held online on 14 January.

Speaking at the ActHuman III Report Launch event, where both information about the rapid transformation in socio-economic life, as well as current and historical comparative data, in terms of cooperatives were shared, İNGEV President Vural Çakır said:

“Cooperative is one of the essential types of organizations that will enable economic activities – which are weak individually – to become healthier and more sustainable. The pandemic showed us the importance of economic activities based on solidarity. We need to shine these cooperatives by paying more attention. We should improve public legislation and structure in line with simplification and focus. Besides, cooperatives should strengthen their collaborations. İNGEV wants to lay the groundwork for these collaborations and expand its activities via Entrepreneurship Support Center.”

Sabancı University Vice-Rector and Director of Istanbul Policy Center Prof. Dr. Fuat Keyman also mentioned that “Neoliberalism increasingly destroys the organizations coming from below. In addition to this, a central management understanding and increasing urbanization are the main reasons for doing this study. “The important thing is to make cooperatives more productive actors. Cooperatives today have three-dimensional importance; solidarity, not only in the field of agriculture, but in the field of all societal issues that go all the way up to theater and art, working on a new form of organization different from the past and a new localization,” said Keyman.

The presentation was made by Orkun Doğan, Research Assistant at the Department of Economics of Istanbul Bilgi University, who also prepared the report. Doğan also drew attention to the necessity of supervision as well as trust in establishing cooperatives.

The following nine social policy recommendations emerged as a result of the resilient cooperative study:

The Impact of COVID-19 and Cooperatives: A sectoral study should be conducted to measure the social and economic impacts of the crises caused by the pandemic on the cooperatives and evaluate the measures to be taken.
New Cooperatives Legislation: Cooperative legislation should be addressed, simplified, and developed in a participatory method in which all stakeholders are represented, within the framework of international principles and current needs, to ensure contemporary governance principles.
Financial Support Tools: A mechanism to increase cooperatives’ access to financial markets should be established where cooperatives are represented within cooperative banks and credit unions. Alternative means to traditional financing channels should be designed according to Turkey’s unique conditions and the cooperatives’ needs.
More Effective Cooperatives in Value Chains: Incentives should be provided to develop the Cooperative Product Certificate, increasing the cooperative products’ visibility at retail sales points. In order to increase cooperatives’ marketing capacity, training programs should be organized for stakeholders, especially on product and brand development, e-commerce, and export-related issues.
Cooperative Statistics and Cooperatives Research and Training Center: Cooperative data should be compiled regularly, and indicators such as total number, number of partnerships, employment, and annual turnover should be prepared in international statistical standards and presented to the public in different formats.
Training and Capacity Building Programs for Cooperatives: Relevant ministries, development agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, universities, and education cooperatives that organize cooperative training should come together and determine a comprehensive “Cooperative Training Strategy” in coordination.
Increasing the Awareness Level of Cooperatives in the Society: An image study should be carried out with all stakeholders to increase the awareness of cooperatives in the eyes of the public and spread the concept of cooperatives.
Partnerships Between Cooperative Supreme Organizations and Social Solidarity Economy Components: For more resilient cooperatives, the top of the cooperative organization should be restructured, and supporting mechanisms should be activated.
Collaboration between Cooperatives and Local Governments: Ethical and principled cooperation between local governments and cooperatives can provide significant opportunities to strengthen the social solidarity economy and support cooperatives, as long as the cooperatives’ autonomy is observed.

To Read the Executive Summary of ActHuman Report

İNGEV Şanlıurfa Business Development Center Trainings Started.

Within the Incubation and Small Grant Program scope, 150 entrepreneurs will be selected through evaluations and interviews over the applications in 4 different periods, and designated beneficiaries will participate in Basic Entrepreneurship Trainings.

Business proposals written by entrepreneur candidates who will complete Basic Entrepreneurship Trainings will be evaluated by INGEV committee consisting of experts in the entrepreneurship field. Selected 90 beneficiaries will have a chance to participate in Advanced Entrepreneurship Training. INGEV will cover the business establishment costs and provide partial grants for 53 entrepreneurs who will complete the Advanced Entrepreneurship Training.

INGEV project, which aims to contribute to the establishment of new MSMEs in the Şanlıurfa ecosystem, will also deliver training and consultancy support to enhance entrepreneurs’ capacities and business ideas.

The trainings of the “Incubation and Small Grant Program” organized by INGEV Şanlıurfa Business Development Center, in cooperation with DRC (Danish Refugee Council) and funded by KFW (German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and DANIDA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark) started in the month of December.

Trainings drew great interest from Şanlıurfa entrepreneur community and 38 beneficiaries were selected out of 956 applications. Selected beneficiaries started to receive Basic Entrepreneurship Trainings.

What sort of trainings is being delivered?

Business Skills and Capacity Building Trainings for MSMEs consist of 6 different modules created according to the needs of MSMEs owners and employees operating in Şanlıurfa and Kilis.

INGEV will enhance the capacities and business skills of Syrian and Turkish MSMEs working in Şanlıurfa and Kilis with the modules on “Digital Marketing and Online Working Tools,” “Business Law for MSMEs,” “Finance and Basic Accountancy for MSMEs,” “Team Building, Leadership Skills, and Corporate Communication,” “Import and Export,” and “Human Resources Management.” INGEV will also open different application periods for each module and organize each module three times throughout the project implementation process.

Apart from providing consultancy support on the Finance, Business Law, and Business Development fields, INGEV will aim to contribute to the development of the region and Şanlıurfa ecosystem.

You can follow our Business Skills and Capacity Building Training applications on our website and social media accounts.

Vural Çakır: Rewieving the consumption focus of “good living” standards is vital

“Next Frontier: Human Development and Anthropocene” Human Development Report 2020 Launch Event, where INGEV was among the stakeholders, was held online under UNDP Turkey’s umbrella on December 16th.

After UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Claudio Tomasi presented the findings of the 2020 report, launch event continued with a panel of academicians specialized in the fields of climate change and bio-diversity. INGEV President Vural Çakır participated in the panel that followed, “What’s our part?”

Speaking at the panel, INGEV President Vural Çakır pointed out that the concept of human development offers a fundamental vision and perspective for a better world, adding that we have the chance to set measurable goals and achieve them through a focus on human development. Highlighting the relationship between consumption and human development Çakır also said: “We need to focus on a range of areas in climate action plans and set measurable targets. It is very important that we review our consumption-centric approach for defining the standards of ‘good-living’.”

During his opening speech, UN Turkey Resident Representative Alvaro Rodriguez stressed the importance of this year’s theme: “The theme of this year’s report, “Planetary Imbalances”, demonstrates the current turmoil humanity encounters, and proposes brave, nature-based solutions for our survival.” UNDP Turkey Resident Representative Claudio Tomasi conveyed a critical message underlining the fact that no country achieved very high human development without putting an immense strain on the planet. He added: “The next frontier for human development is to right this wrong.”

The Human Development Report (HDR) 2020 “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene” aims to rebalance the relationship between humanity and nature, and improve people’s lives in a permanent manner. In the new geological era called the Anthropocene, humans possess the power of shaping the planet according to their purposes. In this new era, how will the human development change? How do we find a new path that expands human freedom, choice and agency while reducing planetary pressures? The report focuses on these questions, while offering metrics and data to demonstrate that the recovery from the unprecedented pandemic can be environmentally and socially sustainable.

2020 #HDR Turkey Launch Event:

INGEV Takes Over Ownership of Influential Youtube Channel VibioTV

INGEV has now become the owner of one of Turkey’s most influential YouTube channels, VibioTV. Known for programs such as “Who Actually” and “What Actually”, the channel boasts over 1.3 million subscribers. While previous Youtube-based publications continue to be developed under the management of ViBio team, in the upcoming period focus is also being placed on publications in areas of human development.

In the next steps, INGEV has planned to prioritize design, training, and video production activities aimed at building digital capacity in support of disadvantaged groups. We believe that these steps will open up new perspectives in the development of non-governmental organizations in our country, and we hope to continue our contribution to human development and especially to the younger audiences of YouTube viewers.

Follow this link to access VibioTV (videos only in Turkish)

Türkiye Merkezli Global Dijital Vatandaşlık Rehberi

Guide for Digital Citizenship: From Turkey to Global

Digital citizenship is considered as the new challenge for citizens around the Globe. INGEV is addressing this challenge in cooperation with Facebook and Oxford University, to launch the first stage of the project. It will feature a survey to be conducted in 26 cities covering all of Turkey. Key findings will be incorporated into the digital citizenship white paper, to be drafted by Oxford University. The survey will also detect the areas of improvement from cyber bullying to communication behavior in the digital world along with utilization of e-commerce. The outputs will be shared with the stakeholders in various workshops. The last stage of the project will develop content and tools like video series and handbooks, as well as an awareness campaign on digital citizenship.

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