In support of the U.S. Embassy’s Economic Development Efforts, OXUS Group successfully managed programs to identify, train, and develop Afghan business executives across various industry sectors, including – agribusiness, carpeting, construction, construction material, and mining to increase business capacity. The project’s objective was to increase business and corporate capacity, develop key business and ministerial relationships in their respective sectors, improve human resource procedures, capital infusion, supply-chain management, and open new domestic and international markets to Afghan executives. Through an U.S.-Afghan economic development program, OXUS Group provided business capacity training and investment promotion services to over 85 senior executives of leading companies in Afghanistan. We worked closely with each Afghan executive to identify and expand their professional capabilities and commercial skills through strategic planning, marketing and participation in trade delegations. OXUS Group offered strategic business planning and training seminars, capacity-building study tours, as well as individual counseling sessions for program participants. In total, the team provided 192 one-on-one counseling sessions, 300 business-to-business meetings, 16 structured training events, and led eight international study tours across the industry sectors to Japan, Singapore, Germany, India, UAE, and Turkey.  

Client: U.S. Agency for International Development Prime: Impact Carpets Associates, LLC (ICA) Duration: 2018-2021 Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Country: Afghanistan Solutions: Economic Growth   The purpose of the activity known as “Establishing the Kabul Carpet Export Center (KCEC)” foresaw that the success of the carpet industry in generating new, sustainable, jobs and revenue for Afghanistan if the Afghan carpet makers were to fully meet the expectations of the international rug buyers. Under this grant, OXUS was responsible for day-to-day project implementation and all Afghan personnel. Specifically, OXUS fostered long-term sustainable partnership within the Afghan carpet value chain both within Afghanistan, as well as with international buyers of Afghan carpet products to create new, sustainable, jobs for Afghanistan. OXUS trained and mentored Afghan carpet manufacturers to develop the business management skills needed for them to expand their businesses and generate income and employment, for Afghan youth, women, returnees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).   Sample Activities Promoted KCEC at the Second and Third USAID/Afghanistan-sponsored Annual Passage to Prosperity Trade and Investment Shows in Mumbai (2018) and New Delhi (2019), India. Recruited all Key Personnel, Afghan support staff and international Subject Matter Experts. Facilitated registration of KCEC with the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA). Responsible for organizing and managing all Afghanistan-based business-to-business meetings between KCEC and Afghan carpet manufacturers. Mentored and instructed the development of marketing material and formal business plans for nineteen (19) KCEC-registered Afghan carpet manufacturers. Helped organize and hold the Afghanistan Carpet Roadshow in New York City, October 2019, and May 2021; Participated in numerous international carpet and trade shows in Shanghai, China, Hannover, Germany, Milan, Italy, Prague, Czech Republic, various cities in the USA.   Select Results Opened a retail store “Wool and Loom” located in Tysons Galleria Mall in Virginia, USA to complete the “Made in Afghanistan” value chain; Created 34,971 new full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in carpet industry of which 17,396 new FTE jobs were for women and 7,218 new FTE jobs were for IDPs were created; Exported 68,479 square meters (SQM) of carpets globally which added $7,532,690 value to Afghan exports during the life of the project; Supported establishment of two cut and wash facility in Kabul and Achqa to support carpet finishing in Afghanistan; Participated in 29 international trade events (both in-person and virtual) including 22 international exhibitions and showcased Afghan handmade carpets in China, Germany India, Italy, Turkiye, and the USA; Registered 60 Afghan carpet manufacturing and trading firms; Launched the first e-commerce website for Afghan carpets to increase the carpet sales; Pioneered Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-Ups (AARPU) in New York City (twice), Knoxville, and Charleston in the USA that connected Afghan manufacturers directly to international buyers; Mentored and instructed the development of marketing material and formal business plans for all KCEC-registered Afghan carpet manufacturers; and, Recruited all Key Personnel, Afghan support staff and international Subject Matter Experts (SME).      

Client: U.S. Agency for International Development Prime: Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) Duration: 2020-2025 Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Country: Afghanistan Solutions: Economic Growth   The Afghanistan Competitiveness of Export-Oriented Businesses Activity (ACEBA) project is designed to promote Afghanistan’s sustainable, market-driven economic growth by enhancing the export competitiveness and market linkages of Afghan businesses. OXUS is providing technical expertise and guidance to other ACEBA members working in the project’s value chains, and on business enabling environment activities. Under ACEBA, OXUS is providing both short-term and long-term technical expertise—international and Afghan—to improve business productivity across value chains. OXUS is delivering experienced short-term support across the project’s five sectors in direct support of Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The value chains addressed under the project include those that have considerable unrealized potential but have yet to receive concentrated development programming attention. Target value chains include carpets; precious stones and jewelry; marble and granite; cashmere; and saffron. All value chains are recognized for their potential to deliver demonstrable results from downstream value-add, sales, exports, and job creation.   Sample Activities Recruiting and deploying a team of 40 persons in ten (10) provinces throughout the country to monitor implementation and stipend payments to Apprenticeship Program participants; Provide support to the implementation of key value chain interventions that will improve inputs, quality, and product development by exporters for these product lines: carpets, cashmere, saffron, precious stones, natural stones and textiles. Supporting businesses in identifying new markets, securing new buyers/sales contracts, and in trade show participation if merited. Providing technical assistance to individual enterprises in the development of business strategies, in improving product development, manufacturing processes, increasing quantity and quality to meet the requirements of buyers, and export marketing. Supporting businesses in acquiring required certifications, meeting quality standards necessary for export trade, understanding trade management. Supporting associations and business service providers to develop and execute activities in support of increasing exports and creating jobs.   Select Results Placed 19,587 apprentices (including 14,814 females or 76%) females with 218 host companies to learn new skills to earn livelihoods and help support more than 150,000 household members. Each apprentice receives a stipend of $120 per month during the training period and the vast majority of those that have completed their apprenticeships are kept on in full-time employment. These apprenticeships have been established in the carpet, cashmere, saffron and textiles value chains. Recruited and deployed short-term technical advisors (STTA) that are supporting business strategy development and planning, marketing, and branding, production upgrading and refinement for international markets, trade fair participation, and sector-specific constraints analyses; To date, have been providing STTA experts in these areas: saffron genetics, gemstone-cutting, cashmere breeding, jewelry production, marble exploration geology, spice marketing and wool carpets dyeing.  

OXUS Group implemented U.S.-funded programs to support institutional development for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior. We recruited more than 120 internationally and highly-educated, Afghan and American advisors to train, advise and assist in building the operational and strategic capabilities across five functional areas in each Ministry, including: (1) Finance/Resource Management, (2) Procurement, (3) Logistics, (4) Information Technology and (5) Human Resource Management to improve ministerial effectiveness. In each functional area, OXUS Group advisors trained, advised, and assisted ministerial leadership and supporting staff to enhance technical and managerial proficiencies. We engaged with each functional area’s ministerial staff through: training; advisory and assistance at the strategic and operational levels to improve human capital and information management, decision making, procurement of goods and services, financial management, capability building, capacity building, and enterprise process improvement; and direct support through studies and analysis of skills and knowledge gaps and processes. In support of improved transparency, accountability and oversight at the Ministries, OXUS Group has provided to the client, over 600 special reports (recommendations, process flow maps, analyses, technical assessments, and corrective action plans). Additionally, we trained well over 1,300 senior ministerial personnel in Kabul, and throughout all 34 Afghan provinces, to include areas where Afghan government officials have not been able to travel. OXUS Group used a continuous, capacity-building process of conducting technical assessments, analyzing data and information, developing corrective action plans, and providing customized training programs for defined target groups throughout the aforementioned functional areas. This approach provided a solid framework for long-term cooperation with key stakeholders, as well as stability and sustainment within the Ministries. OXUS Group continuously received praise from the RS leadership for providing such in depth and rich information to the coalition forces in Afghanistan.  

Under the leadership of a former Ambassador to the United Nations from Afghanistan, our impressive management and technical consultants bring together highly-qualified teams for each project aimed to client success. OXUS Group brings unparalleled capability to its services through a combination of proven local and international expertise that allows us to develop innovative solutions for our clients. We are strengthened by our management team’s western education and their personal experience in Afghanistan’s complex political and national security environment, with native-level understanding of language, culture, economy, and social issues. We maintain a current network of similarly-experienced advisors and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Our advisors and SMEs are higher-educated, and have served in public and/or private sector leadership roles in the U.S. and Europe across OXUS Group’s core technical areas. Additionally, our technical teams are enhanced by with regional team experts, which provide strategic perspective into political and social issues impacting our project, while also offering direct access to communities and national level decision makers. OXUS Group senior advisors serve as a bridge to western diplomatic and military missions, and international organizations. They work closely with our technical teams to provide guidance and support, helping the teams integrate effectively with their counterparts in ministries, as they introduce new ideas, new approaches, and new systems to enhance client success. Afghanistan remains the core focus of our company. OXUS Group maintains an impressive presence throughout Afghanistan. We actively support sustainability and stability efforts through community and business efforts. OXUS Group’s operational centers include our Headquarters (HQ) in Kabul, and a Presence in all 34 Afghan provinces. OXUS Group HQ maintains over 120 personnel, including Afghan retired military and police generals, high level security experts and SMEs with PhDs and master’s degrees from top western universities. Our presence in the Afghan provinces consists of performing training and capacity-building projects. These projects are managed by Afghan retired generals, business leaders, former parliamentarians and community leaders in these regional localities. Our strong and highly-educated professional staff in Washington, D.C. provides direction and support to our Afghanistan operations. This ensures that U.S. best practices, values, and ethics are consistently applied throughout our business operations. Our distinguished U.S. team consists of Major General Arnold Fields (retired, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction – SIGAR), Mr. Edward Walter Koenig (former Senior Commercial Officer at U.S. Embassy in Kabul and executive of various corporations), and Mrs. Veneece McNeley (a retired U.S. DoD director with 37 years experience in DoD contracts/acquisition, including a mission/tour in Afghanistan as a senior advisor). OXUS Group U.S. officials provide effective oversight of our Afghanistan teams’ progress, to ensure most efficient organizational outcomes and enhanced programs. OXUS Group’s HQ in the U.S. is conveniently located in Washington, D.C., across from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue in the historic Willard Hotel’s Office Building. We are within close proximity to all U.S. governmental agencies and number corporate HQs.

OXUS Group efforts in Afghanistan has contributed to bringing power and improved irrigation across the country to more than 200,000 residents. OXUS Group developed a successful consortium with leading international power and water companies, and local Afghan service providers. As team facilitator, OXUS Group led in identifying and securing opportunities, as well as vetting qualified and trustworthy local subcontractors acclimated with the intricacies of provincial zone relations, government relations, community engagement and overall mitigation of risk. Our team has also successfully performed on major projects that addressed design and build of hydropower plants, substations, transmission lines, and irrigation systems.      

OXUS Group has built a local team and developed the necessary international partnerships to effectively implement complex Information Technology Solutions. Most recently, OXUS Group was awarded a major contract to install state of the art communications infrastructure to a major Afghan Government Ministerial campus. This project includes the complete installation and testing of all required in-building wired and wireless communications, building interconnects via a campus wide fiber optic network, all required active communications components, and to create a Data Center. This complex project also requires an aggressive schedule to align with early occupancies.

Through our efforts, OXUS Group supported the economic revitalization of Afghanistan by drawing major international companies in, to enter key business sectors in Afghanistan. The industrial sectors that OXUS Group attracted in its endeavors, included the market entry and expansion of international firms in Afghanistan across power, construction, mining, agriculture, manufacturing/textiles, information technology, hospitality, and media. We have provided a wide range of business development through in-depth analysis, advisory services, and field assistance. OXUS Group cultivated local and international business opportunities through its rich network of high-level contacts throughout Afghanistan. For improved situational awareness, OXUS Group provided specialized assessments on the local cultural, political, and historical significance of selected business sectors and enterprises. The assessment also included analysis of tribal and cultural influences in certain industry sectors, and the project’s leaders and participants. OXUS Group has supported companies such as Google, YouTube, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Chevron, IBM, Fortune Magazine, Hyatt Hotels, Kate Spade, The Warren Buffet Foundation, and Emaar Properties.      

Client: Royal Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Prime: CORDAID / Afghanistan Duration: 2017-2019 Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Country: Afghanistan   Solutions: Economic Growth This was a two (2) year program focusing on improving local economic prospects for urban youth in Kabul. The program has 5 main components: Enable young urban Afghans in Kabul to set up and grow a business Link skilled young Afghans to employers Scale up Afghan small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing Business Development Support services Improve the business enabling environment Address key issues hampering the ease of doing business and gainful employment. During the inception phase a number of activities needed to be conducted, amongst these the implementation of a baseline study. The baseline study, should allow the project to orient monitoring activities, establish targets and orient project activities and strategies to successfully achieve these project targets.   Sample Activities Prepared, conducted and followed-up on a business matchmaking conference held between participating Afghan businesses and both Afghan and international firms interested in working with these mentored firms. Completed an inventory of SME development / Business Support Development projects; Developed a semi-structured interview outline; Designed the scoring questions to be included in the interviews; Conducted a stakeholder analysis, using the framework provided by the project; and, Identified, trained, and mentored 29 firms (including ten women-owned businesses) for intensive business management capacity-building.   Select Results The OXUS team has completed the Baseline Survey and is currently implementing the Business Acceleration phase of the program. Specific achievements include: Designed and constructed four separate survey questionnaires using Survey Monkey; Conducted twelve (12) focus group discussions with 94 Afghan youth (male and female) who are either employed or seeking employment in the private sector; Conducted a Market Scan of 6 similar international donor projects Conducted 12 semi-structured interviews with SME owners (both male and female); Conducted a Benchmarking survey of 5 international donor or Afghan government officials; Completed a second cohort of interviews with 29 SMEs out of which 20 firms (including 8 women-owned firms) were trained and mentored to grow their business sales and networks; and, Planned, organized, and held a business networking event with potential foreign investment partners for all mentored Afghan firms.    

OXUS Group co-hosted and organized a series of major investment promotion summits in Dubai titled, “The Afghanistan Summit.” These Summits were tailored to expand private and public sector partnerships, and aid essential reconstruction and development initiatives underway in the region through promoting Afghanistan as a viable investor and business destination. Each event attracted over 400 participants. Participants were involved in business networking and educating prospective investors of opportunities in Afghanistan across critical economic sectors including security, construction, logistics, mining, information technology, and agriculture. The event participants included Afghan Government cabinet-level representation, U.S Government senior officials, and representatives from major international corporations, Afghan companies, NGOs, Canadian government, DFID, KFW, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IMF, U.N., NATO, and various trade associations. The three day conferences consisted of special panels for each sector, roundtable discussions, one-on-one meetings with decision-makers and technical experts, and multiple open networking receptions and business luncheons.  

Client: U.S. Department of Commerce Prime: Metis Corporation Duration: 2012-2014 Region: Eastern Europe and Central Asia Country: Afghanistan Solutions: Economic Growth   U.S. Department of Commerce tasked the development of a comprehensive program to identify, train, and develop Afghan businesses across five different industry sectors. The goal of this project was to increase business and corporate capacity, develop key business and ministerial relationships in their respective sectors, improve human resource procedures, capital infusion, supply-chain management, and open new domestic and international markets to participant Afghan executives. As a subcontractor for the Afghanistan Business Development Program, OXUS designed unique selection criteria to focus on companies in Afghanistan who were most likely to have an impact on the local economy. After selecting and vetting, OXUS facilitated expanding their business operations (in and outside of Afghanistan) and increasing employment both within their own business and within their value chains. This helped drive further job creation and “multiplier” effects in the local economy, culminating with increased economic activity and broadening political stability. OXUS provided 192 one-on-one counseling sessions, 300 business-to-business meetings, 16 structured training events, and led eight international study tours.   Sample Activities Sourced, vetted, and selected 85 executives from Afghan-owned businesses. Recruited international Technical and Subject Matter Experts. Facilitated 20 full day group training sessions and 192 one-on-one counseling sessions. Organized and successfully completed 8 international study tours resulting in over 300 business-to-business meetings. Mentored and instructed the development of marketing material and formal business plans for all participants.   Select Results Completed project within allotted time frame, while successfully circumventing constrained Afghan visa and travel processes. Increased local Afghan employment through business development support. Established mutually beneficial business relationships between participants and international suppliers. Developed a local network of like-minded business partners to increase collaboration for future work. Strategic Briefings were held with the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan to highlight successful Commerce Department programs, such as the ABDP. Coordinated and led networking events in each foreign country’s Afghan embassy to bolster each participant’s interaction with various Afghan ambassadors, commerce representatives, and local businesses. Results included some participants obtaining contracts with foreign companies. 20% of the ABDP participants were professional businesswomen. Gained 85 Afghan business leaders as OXUS alumni whom attend quarterly receptions with donor organization representatives and Afghan ministry leadership. Obtained high accolades and outstanding performance evaluation from the U.S, Commerce department, which aided OXUS to be awarded competitive DoD contracts. Participants gained high-quality skills to manage their businesses using advanced western business standards. Ramped-up star of contract performance within 14 days of award.    

The OXUS group has a very deep understanding of the multicultural Afghan business environment and effective relationships with government officials at all levels. These relationships allow OXUS Group to effectively engage in all regions of Afghanistan, regardless of logistical challenges or security concerns. This unique capacity is brought to bear in all of our projects. For our clients, this results in significant reduction of implementation and financial risk.