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The Nucleus Approach

Introduction

Nucleus and SME statistics

Statements of chambers and SMEs

Impact: What changed? Interview with Jordi Castan

Sustainability

Legal property of the Nucleus Approach

Nucleus

Definition

Types of Nuclei

Manual for the Nucleus

The start

9 criteria for the selection of a sector

How to kill a Nucleus

Chambers and Associations

Lobby and Public Private Dialogue

Benchmarking of chambers

About the Legal Property of the "Nucleus Approach"

In 2006 started a discussion about the legal property of the Nucleus Approach. At the end, those institutions which had participated in the partnership project between the Foundation Entrepreneur / Chambers of Commerce and Entrepreneurs, Santa Catarina, Brazil, and the Chamber of Crafts and Small Industries for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany (1991 - 2001) signed the following document.

In short:
Nobody has so far defined any legal property rights on the Nucleus Approach.
Every other institution or person is authorized to adopt, further develop and implement the Nucleus Approach worldwide without consultation.

Download of the document (pdf / pt)

Fundação Empreender

Rua Aluisio Pires Condeixa, 2550
89221-750 Joinville
Santa Catarina / Brazil

Chamber of Crafts and Small In­dustries for Munich and Upper Bavaria
Max-Joseph-Str. 4
80333 Munich
Germany

SEQUA gGmbH
Foundation for Development and Qualification
Alexanderstr. 10
53111 Bonn / Germany

German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) GmbH
Dag Hammersköld-Weg 1-5
65760 Eschborn
Germany

Statement Regarding the Nucleus Approach and its Dissemination

1   Core elements of the Nucleus Approach

The so called Nucleus Approach (Portuguese: Metologia Empreender; Spanish: Metologia Núcleos Empresariales; German: Nukleus Ansatz; French: Approche Nucleus) consists of the following interlinked elements:

  • Formation of working groups of entrepreneurs (=Nuclei) within business associations or business chambers or other enterprise self help organisations (NGOs) organized per enterprise sector or subject.

  • A Nucleus is moderated, organised and accompanied by a counsellor employed by the chamber / association.

  • A Nucleus takes effect in three directions:

  • It changes the Nucleus institutions as service providers to its members by
    – providing group counselling (entrepreneurs counsel entrepreneurs)for Nucleus members,     
    – identifying Nucleus entrepreneurs’ subjectively perceived problems; look for solutions within the group and start common activities in order to arrive at far reaching ideas and solutions.
    The aim is to stimulate the Nucleus entrepreneurs’ own ideas to improve their businesses. The methodology is based upon Action Learning.

  • It changes the Nucleus institutions into lobbyists by operationalizing Nucleus suggestions and requirements in order to improve the economic framework conditions affecting the Nucleus institution members.

  • It changes the Nucleus institutions from within because the Nuclei are part of the Nucleus institution. It stimulates organisational development processes.
    The target is to improve the efficiency of the Nucleus institution to be professionally managed by honorary and employed staff. This will lead to qualified Nucleus institution contributions to the economic and social development of its region.
    This organisational development process needs additional interventions and support from external actors (donors, SME promoting organisations and others).

2   Development of the Nucleus Approach

The Nucleus Approach has been designed and developed since 1991 within the frame­work of the partnership project between the Chamber of Crafts and Small Industries for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany, and several Brazilian chambers of com­merce and industry in the federal state of Santa Catarina (ACE) by the project team, honorary and full time staff of the involved business associations and chambers and some entrepreneurs through learning by doing.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supported the partnership project financially from 1991 until 2001. Between 1991 and 1994 it was supported by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and afterwards by SEQUA gGmbH – Partner of the Industry, Foundation for Development and Qualification, Bonn.

In 1996, the involved partnership project ACEs founded the Fundação Empreender (FE) in order to institutionalize the cooperation between the business chambers and to disseminate the Nucleus Approach from Santa Catarina to all over Brazil and other countries. The FE took over the project team as its own staff.

Since then FE has acted as contract and cooperation partner of the Chamber of Crafts and Small Industries for Munich and Upper Bavaria to date.

The development of the Nucleus Approach was accurately documented. All documents developed since 1991 are available[1].

The Nucleus Approach is an original Brazilian approach to promote business chambers / associations and SMEs.

It is not a copy of a German exercised model.

[1] The description about the beginning of the partnership project and the development of the Nucleus Approach was documented by Rainer Müller-Glodde: „Organisationsentwicklung in brasilianischen Unternehmensverbänden, Fallstudie des Partnerschaftsprojektes zwischen brasilianischen Handels- und Industrieverbänden in Santa Catarina und der Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern“, published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH, Organisations-, Kommunikations- und Managementberatung, Aus der Arbeit der Abteilung 403, Nr. 16/d, Eschborn, Juli 1993

3   The Nucleus Approach 2006

The Nucleus Approach is being implemented in Brazil (FE, Confederação de Associações Comerciais e Empresariais do Brasil), Uruguay (Red ProPymes) and Sri Lanka (GTZ). For further details see attached list. Several GTZ and other donor funded projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa are in preparation.

4   The signing parties’ statement regarding the legal property of the Nucleus Approach and its dissemination

All signing parties have a core interest in the Nucleus Approach being disseminated in developing countries by as many business chambers, business associations and NGOs as possible.

  • The signing parties have so far not defined any legal property rights. They do not intend to do so in future.

  • Also any other institution or person is kindly requested not to claim any property rights in order to ease the dissemination of the Nucleus Approach.

  • Every other institution or person is authorized to adopt, further develop and implement the Nucleus Approach worldwide without consultation.

  • Each institution or person implementing the Nucleus Approach should indicate the following in terms of the approach’s origin:

    • The Nucleus Approach was developed by the Fundação Empreender, Joinville, Brazil, within the partnership project with the Chamber of Crafts and Small In­dustries for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Germany.

    • The partnership project was financially supported by the German Federal Government.

    • The Nucleus Approach is primarily a Brazilian approach.

  • Each institution or person is requested to make available to all other institutions all ideas, developed materials (concepts, statistics, reports, impact analysis) and experiences regarding the further development of the Nucleus Approach free of charge.

Signed on 14.02.2007

Hans Dieter Didjurgeit
President of the Trusteeship Council
of Fundação Empreender

Adriano Marcel Zimmermann
Executive President of Fundação Empreender

Luiz Carlos Furtado Neves
President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Entrepreneurs of Santa Catarina (FACISC)

Signed on 07.08.2006

Heinrich Traublinger
President,
Member of Parliament

Bernd Lenze,
Secretary General
Chamber of Crafts and Small Industries for Munich and Upper Bavaria

Signed on 08.08.2006

Dr. Ralf Meyer
Head Program Management
SEQUA gGmbH
Partner of the Industry

Signed on 20.07.2006

Jochem Lange
Head of Department 41 – Economic Development and Employment Promotion
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) GmbH