MSMEs are facing a tremendous amount of uncertainty these days. Between the impacts of COVID-19, uncertain business futures, and changing economic realities, MSMEs are facing the brunt of the impact. 

Risk management therefore becomes a critical segment of an MSME’s business planning and operations. But as the potential for numerous risks is currently high, and as the business world continues to combat the shifts created by the pandemic, it is challenging to know where to begin.

For this reason, the Pearl Initiative is delighted to welcome an expert on small business management to lead this novel Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on risk management for MSMEs.

Participants are invited to submit their questions on MSME decision-making and risk management, and to join the AMA session where their queries and concerns will be addressed by our expert.

COVID-19 has not only impacted businesses, but the impact has been felt across all aspects of our economy. With the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic, it is clear there will be serious repercussions for all industries. 

As all institutions begin returning to work, what challenges have they faced as a business to ensure their core stakeholders will not suffer? Has the ability to adapt quickly to the pandemic shed light on their operations? Further to that, has the pandemic had any influence on the importance of educating younger generations on resiliency and the climate emergency we are facing? Is there even more urgency for our youth to follow climate change specialisations?

This webinar will aim to:

• Showcase the new normal for institutions and the practices they have implemented to ensure their business continuity during this pandemic
• Highlight the need for agility and collaboration in order to be resilient in times of uncertainty
• Discuss the importance of educating young people on sustainability and climate change to ensure our future business leaders are well versed in the subject matter to combat the global climate emergency 

With the OECD and the UK Bribery Act both focusing on the specific issue of companies bribing public officials abroad, interactions between businesses and their host governments around the world have never been more closely scrutinised.

However, data gathered by anti-corruption experts in the area of government and regulatory affairs continues to raise concerns.
This remains one of the top three areas in which companies assessed by GoodCorporation fail to meet requirements and expectations.

Basic rules on lobbying and political interactions, for example, were found last year to be inadequate in 34% of cases. Basic controls, such as written registers of government intermediaries, became less adequate in the period between 2014 and last year. Almost half of the companies assessed failed to provide sufficient training on how to handle requests for facilitation payments from public officials.

As part of the Pearl Initiative’s Combating Corruption series, this webinar will examine the increasing importance of government and regulatory affairs in mitigating bribery risk.
It will examine data taken from over 100 on-site anti-bribery and corruption assessments over the past 10 years, in which more than 7,000 business practices have been put to the test.

From this data, we will identify those areas of government interaction where companies most often fail, and the examples of best practice which can help companies to remain compliant in this famously high-risk area.

The following areas will be discussed in detail:
- How to assess bribery and corruption controls
- The role of interactions with government / regulators in international anti-bribery and corruption    regulation
- Data from over 100 on-site assessments, showing how well companies are performing in this        area
- Examples of where companies most often fail
- Examples of best practice in approaching regulatory affairs and government
- Expert advice on how companies can overcome the complexities and establish meaningful            controls in this area