Prospective Applicants
The Program
The Emerging Markets Development Advisers Program
is a fellowship program sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID), the US government agency that administers
economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide, and others. EMDAP is managed by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the largest
private, nonprofit educational and cultural exchange agency
in the United States.
The EMDAP is an opportunity for current students and recent
graduates of U.S. MBA programs or MA programs in international
management/ finance/development or international affairs/studies
to provide management assistance to small and medium-sized
enterprises in developing countries.
EMDAP Advisers contribute to business development in emerging
market countries by using their knowledge of business management
practices to identify business solutions in diverse situations.
This contributes to achieving USAID’s objectives abroad – specifically,
broad-based economic development.
EMDAP Features
EMDAP Advisers are awarded a grant that covers:
monthly living expenses; housing; language
training where necessary; microfinance, business development
or sector-specific training if needed; health insurance and
one round-trip airfare from the US to the host country. They are also provided with the use of a laptop computer for the duration of their assignment. Other allowances vary from country to country.
Benefits
- One-year professional, hands-on work experience
in a developing economy.
- The unique opportunity to network with international
businesses and NGOs.
- Become a published author with the publication of the EMDAP
Case Study book.
- Immerse yourself in the local culture
during the 10-month assignment.
- Enhance professional opportunities to work with USAID, its implementing partners, and emerging markets.
Assignments
Placements are made where USAID is present in Africa,
Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Eurasia. For an overview of prior placements, please visit Where
have Advisers Been?.
Positions are based within local organizations and USAID implementing partners at the middle
and upper managerial levels in such areas as:
- Financial planning
and cost control
- Loan portfolio tracking and analysis
- Production efficiency, inventory systems and quality control
- Marketing, sales and import/export
- Human resource development/management
- Information systems and database management
- Strategy development/implementation
- Property development
- Policy Analysis & Coordination
- Development of Microfinance manuals and Business Development
Services implementation
Microfinance assignments require candidates with a background
in:
- Banking
- Finance
- Accounting
- Loans
Business Development Services assignments require candidates
with a background in:
- Marketing
- Public Relations
- IT related or communications technology training.
Candidates selected for a microfinance or a business development
services assignment may be required to attend a two to three-week
training course prior to departure. All costs associated
with this course are program-funded.
Case Study
During their assignment, all Advisers develop and
complete a case study that illustrates important considerations
for conducting business in emerging markets. With assistance
from IIE experts, the case studies are refined and published.
The first volume of these case studies, Portraits of Small
Businesses from the Developing World, the second and third
volumes, Portraits of Business Practices in Emerging Markets,
and the accompanying instructor’s manuals have been distributed
widely to U.S. business schools and are now available online. The fourth volume will soon
be available online.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be U.S. citizens
- Have worked a minimum of two - three years in such areas
as: marketing, banking, finance, business management, information
systems management, or consulting.
- Be recent graduates (within 5 years) of a masters program
OR current students who will have completed their first year of coursework
in an accredited U.S. MBA or MA program in international management/
finance/development or international affairs/studies.
- If not yet graduated, obtain approval for the ten-month
leave between the first and second year of the graduate program
from their U.S. academic institution and this institution’s
endorsement of their candidacy if the student will still
be enrolled in their academic institution at the time of
the assignment.
Sample Program Timeline
January to March: Application completion and submission
April to June: Assignment Placements
July: Assignment training
August: Pre-departure Orientation
September to July to September: Overseas assignments
October: Program Debriefing
Note: Actual dates for the program will be confirmed with EMDAP candidates.
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