STEP 3: Transfer

DEADLINE CHECKLISTS RESPONSIBLE

gender-balance* ❏ Marketing firm selected (assessed for expertise or openness to being gender-smart), if needed and in the approved budget, to develop a marketing plan, brand strategy, to accomplish the sales targets outlined in the budget ❏ Enhanced branding guidelines; updated the logo, website, packaging, marketing collateral; promotional strategies developed; pricing strategy developed

Sales SOP created ❏ Company’s gender-smart sales process documented ❏ Company’s sales pipeline and tools reviewed and updated SGS Team

Distribution system enhanced ❏ Gender-smart distribution plan and sales channels, or preparing a sales pipeline with a lead generation system to find, track, and move leads from prospects to closing SGS Team

Marketing and sales battle rhythm commenced ❏ Weekly marketing and sales meetings established ❏ Weekly marketing and sales KPIs gathered and reported SGS Team

*Starts during Stage 3: Due Diligence as part of the work done to complete the First 180-Days Statement of Work and First 180-Days Project Plan

Standards:

● Marketing and sales KPIs must be tracked weekly and reported to the SGS team. ● To be customized based on the type of company.

STEP 2: OPERATE

From the sixth month to the end of the second year, the SGS team will operate the key management functions of the company while training a cadre of local gender balanced managers. Regular training programs will be run in-person and/or virtually before or after working hours (like an executive MBA program). The SGS team will spend an average of one full day per company per week at a company. Heavy emphasis will be placed on monitoring the implementation of SOPs and checklists and driving the accuracy and timeliness of reporting from the portfolio companies. During this time, the SGS team will step in to make decisions, and in some cases do the work of the executive in training. By the end of the operate period, the executive in training should be doing all of the work, and the SGS team member will be reviewing and coaching the executive in training.

Outcomes:

● To develop a high-performing gender-balanced local executive team that knows what good management looks like. ● To show the executive team what good looks like through apprenticeship and coaching. ● For a team of three SGS executives to comfortably manage a portfolio of between five companies at a time.

Process:

1. Run bi-weekly group executive training sessions: a. The local managers – executives in training – will all be required to attend a rigorous training program every week that will cover a number of topics that they were trained on in The Gender-Smart Exec’s program (i.e., a refresher “bootcamp” and deep dives). b. Managers will be tested. c. Readings will be assigned. d. Case studies from the fund’s portfolio companies will be presented and the team will collectively work through solutions. 2. Work at the business no less than one day per week: a. SGS COO will set the monthly targets and work plan for the month and each week for the SGS team; all three may work at a company for a full day or rotate for half day working sessions between companies. No more than two companies should be supported per day. b. Each department (i.e., HR/Administration, Finance, Sales) should have a checklist that is to be completed by the executive in training. The first thing the SGS team member does when coming to a company is to review their checklists. This discipline will send a message to the executives in training that their work will be routinely monitored and evaluated.