1.     Outputs:

The main outputs are: 

1) Workshop on Risk-smart Business for SMEs in the Post COVID-19 

The workshop will be delivered in a hybrid manner. Each session will be held both in-person and virtually. Panelists and participants from EPWG China, including representatives from EPWG China and from the private sector, the academia, international or regional organizations based in China, will attend physically in Beijing. Other panelists and participants will be invited to join via video link. The workshop is expected to have at most 50 participants. 

To provide the common ground in advance, draft agenda, concept note and General Information Circular will be sent 8 weeks before the workshop to serve as a survey/ interview on the concerns of panelists and participants. Specific discussion points/ questions for each panel will be sent to panelists 15 days before the workshop (or speakers) for their inputs. The outline of their answers/ inputs will also be circulated in advance to facilitate effective and efficient discussion. 

Purposes: To provide guidance and suggestions for decision makers, practitioners and SMEs in APEC community about adaptation to post-pandemic landscape, risk-informed decision making, and integrating a risk-smart and climate-resilient philosophy into the post-COVID-19 business models and practices. 

Duration: 2 days 

Target audience: Government officials from APEC member economies, mainly from emergency management authorities and enterprises, trade and industry related departments; Practitioners from technical agencies that have expertise in risk information management, monitoring and assessment; Representatives from private sector and business related research institutes; Representatives from member economies who are interested in SMEs resilience building in the post COVID.

Draft Agenda

EPWG 06 2021A: Workshop on Risk-smart Business for SMEs in the Post COVID-19

October, 2022 (tbc)

2)  Best Practices Guideline (40 – 50 pages) 

Expediting resilient recovery of SMEs especially in the post-pandemic is not just a daunting task facing SMEs themselves. It requires whole-of society and whole-of industry efforts. The guideline will be developed by this APEC-funded project team to provide guidance and reference on supporting SMEs resilience building and risk-smart business at government, technical and business community level. As stated in the cover letter, EPWG China will do research on risk-informed decision making framework towards resilience and risk assessment tools by using its own funds. To avoid the low applicability of the Guideline to larger APEC community, the project team has invited experts and consultants from Tohoku University of Japan, National Climate Change Commission of the Philippines, Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDRR Asia-Pacific Regional Office, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of FAO, who have expertise and experience in carrying out relevant work from global and regional perspective. 

During the preceding self-funded project “Regional Economic Integration through the Lens of Disaster Resilience (EPWG 01 21S)”, EPWG China also did research on disaster resilience capacity building of the business community, which was a relatively general one focusing on challenges faced by enterprises, major components of resilient capacity building, and influencing factors of business resilience. By carrying out this self-funded project, the PO finds it necessary to study business resilience from a broader, more comprehensive and more targeted perspective and recognizes the role of government decision making and technology application in this process. 

By leveraging the above-mentioned outcomes, this guideline may include: 

I. Table of Contents

II. Executive Summary (by Mr. ZHANG Xiaoning, Project Overseer, 2020-2021 EPWG Co-Chair)

III. Recommendations at government level: Risk-informed Decision Making Framework Towards Resilience (name tbc, relevant research and activities will be self-funded by EPWG China)

IV. Recommendations at technical level: Research Report on Methodology or Tools for Risk-informed Preparedness (name tbc, relevant research and activities will be self-funded by EPWG China)

V. Recommendations for SMEs to go forward (based on Workshop outcomes)

VI. Summary

3)  Workshop Report (20 pages) 

The outcomes of the Workshop on Risk-smart Business for SMEs in the Post COVID-19 will presented in this Workshop Reports. It may include: 

I. Table of Contents

II. Executive Summary

III. Workshop Activities: background, objectives, preparation, participation and gender, highlights of panel discussions, etc.

IV. Panelists and Participants Survey 

V. Lessons form the Workshop

VI. Appendix: workshop agenda, workshop concept note, list of participants, outline of answers (provided by panelists before the workshop), post-workshop survey, etc. 

4)     Project Report (30 pages) 

The Project Report is for final review and summary. It may include: 

I. Table of Contents

II. Executive Summary

III. Introduction: background, objectives, preparations, outcomes and outputs.

IV. Best Practices Guideline

V. Workshop on Risk-smart Business for SMEs in the Post COVID-19

VI. Review and Conclusion

VII. Appendix

VIII. Reference 

Outcomes:

a. The best practices and insights shared during the Workshop will be presented and summarized in the form of Workshop Report which will be a regional reference. 

b. The Workshop will bring together participants from various sectors to raise awareness of understanding, preparing for and managing risks at government, technical and enterprises levels. 

c. The Workshop will contribute to providing applicable suggestions for government authorities, technical practitioners and SMEs, especially in APEC member economies, to support their adaptation to the post-pandemic new normal. 

Beneficiaries:

Primary beneficiaries: Workshop panelists and participants

Secondary beneficiaries: policy makers and practitioners from emergency management and business-related agencies in APEC economies who will contribute to and may benefit from Best Practices Guideline, Workshop Report and Project Report. 

For further reference, both primary and secondary beneficiaries listed here may include:

a)  emergency management ministries/ committees; 

b) industry, commerce and trade related ministries/ research institutes; 

c) disaster reduction and resilience related international and regional organizations like UNDP, UNDRR, UN-SPIDER, ADRC, IFRC, UNICEF, WFP, GIZ and ASEAN; 

d) enterprises/ agencies with rich experience in supply chain resilience and capacity building such as Jingdong Logistics, Lenovo Group, Property and Casualty Company Limited (PICC), Swiss Re Group and Munich Re Group;