TAA Joins the BCCB - a new Service for TAA members.

 

The TAA has joined the British Consultants & Construction Bureau. Membership will be of particular interest and value to members who have already “signed up” with our Agribusiness Group. Interested members who have not yet done so should contact Jim Turnbull (e-mail: agribusiness@taa.org.uk)

THE TAA'S MEMBERSHIP OF BCCB WILL BE OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO TAA MEMBERS WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING WORK AS  CONSULTANTS OVERSEAS. THESE MEMBERS, IF THEY HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO, SHOULD JOIN THE TAA AGRIBUSINESS GROUP.

What is the BCCB and what services does it offer?

 

• BCCB is a trade association for British consultants and construction companies wishing to develop their businesses internationally. The association is multi-sectoral, but a large number of members have interests in the agriculture and rural development group.
• Members in this group specialise in the following sub-sectors: Annual crop, livestock and pasture production, marine & inland fisheries, tree crops & forestry, restructuring, privatisation & training, land reform-registration, consolidation, land markets & mortgage, pest management, environmental management and land use planning, rural infrastructure - access roads, irrigation & water supply, produce marketing, storage and process design/supervision of construction, food & drink packaging & marketing.
• Consultants work for both the private sector and the many aid agencies active in this sector in the developing world, including FAO, IFAD, World Food Programme, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, EU External Aid Programmes, EBRD, Inter-American Development Bank, African Development Bank and the various Arab & Islamic development agencies.
• Helping members create partnerships, either through project joint-ventures, or longer term associations, with both companies from the EU and the developing and transition countries, is a key part of BCCB’s work and one which we hope to develop through our participation in the Global Partners Initiative at the Royal Show. It is also able to help individual consultants with specialist sector and / or geographic expertise to network with potential clients.

 
MAKING BEST USE OF BCCB MEMBERSHIP
 

1. Networking: Look out for useful forthcoming general meetings, overseas missions, visits by overseas delegations to the BCCB offices, (At the  moment this information  is circulated  by e-mail Jim Turnbull* to those who have registered  interest  in the  Agribusiness Group. If you wish to be on this list contact Jim Turnbull at the address given below*). Also the special lunches which are hosted, such as for government ministers. A wide spread of people, from various disciplines within member companies participate in these activities and facilities.
2. Lobbying: BCCB can put its head above the parapet on behalf of membersand are able, for example, to tackle forcefully government agencies, funding agencies and foreign governments. Even when members prefer to pursue matters on their own, BCCB may be able to help because of their knowledge of comparable difficulties with certain countries or agencies. When a pattern emerges BCCB can act for a group.
3. Consortium Building: BCCB can suggest potential partners in other sectors to help members form consortia or establish relationships (Contact Jim Turnbull).Members can also use information on the BCCB website to create new links with other members. 
4. Market Intelligence: BCCB disseminate (To members, including the TAA) leads for potential business across a whole spectrum of sectors and disciplines in virtually every country in the world. It is therefore important that the BCCB geographical Directors, Douglas Kerr (Sub Saharan Africa, Asia Pacific), Nigel Peters (Europe and Americas) and Ric Nye (International Construction, Middle East & North Africa), are briefed on the type of business and areas in which members wish to work. The BCCB databases are extensive, but members need to keep their entries up to date.
5. Advice: BCCB can provide advice on how members (TAA is the member of BCCB not individal members of TAA ) might best approach overseas markets and can also offer more detailed help on countries and regions in which they have a current focus and can often advise in depth on specific sectors, such as finance. 
6. Training: The programme of events includes a variety of training courses designed to improve the ability of members successfully to win, deliver and get paid for overseas business. These are advertised  in the  monthly bulletin that  this is  circulated to those members that  have  joined the agribusiness group
7. Projects Won: Every month BCCB receive details of contracts won by members. This is collated into 'Projects Won' which is distributed to government, to funding agencies and the media. It is also on the BCCB website www.bccb.org.uk. Input is required by the 20^th of each month, ideally electronically, through the members’ area of the BCCB website and helps members get maximum publicity.
8. The Bulletin: This is the regular monthly update on the events BCCB organise and a summary of key issues. 
9. The Website (www.bccb.org.uk):  This website is an effective marketing tool. BCCB recommend you monitor regularly the programme of events and opportunities page. TAA members will be provided with a password for the members’ area of the BCCB website. Reciprocal links will also be established between the TAA and BCCB websites.

 

*JW Turnbull
Managing Director
Belmont Management Consultants Limited
32 Oakley Road
Chinnor
Oxfordshire
OX39 4HB
England

Tel: +44 (0) 1844 352385
Fax: +44 (0) 1844 354991

E-mail: JWTurnbull@bmc-ltd.com 
Web:   www.bmc-ltd.com