Overview

The Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) is CCI's flagship program. Modeled after the historic Marshall Plan, PEP brings Russian and American businesses together to assist Russian entrepreneurs in building a self-sustaining market economy in Russia. Since 1996, its intensive U.S.-based business training has been providing a purposeful international service project for American civic clubs and creating global friendships that extend for years.

From its inception through 2004, the U.S. Department of State covered 51 percent of the program’s costs. Russian delegates contributed 13 percent, and in-kind contributions from service-minded volunteers and U.S. civic clubs made up the remaining 36 percent. Today, PEP can sustain itself on fees from the Russian entrepreneurs and in-kind contributions from US Civic Clubs.

PEP is unique among Russian business-training programs because it provides intensive business training to non-English regional entrepreneurs. It shows Russian business people how to accelerate the growth of their businesses. PEP’s secondary goal is to support the growth of a Russian middle class.

Serious Russian professionals from across Russia participate in a typical training day

How successful has PEP been in completing its mission? Since 1996, more than 25,000 U.S. volunteers in 45 states have assisted approximately 7,000 Russian entrepreneurs representing 60 industry sectors. The Russian participants have come from over 600 cities in Russia. PEP does not require English proficiency, so more and more of Russia’s outlying regions are served by PEP.

PEP candidates are identified and prepared for travel by CCI’s eight Russian Partner Offices. These offices manage a total of 90 satellite networks, which enable the program to reach into the deepest regions of Russia. CCI scrutinizes the interests of candidates and places them in appropriate industry-specific delegations. This ensures that delegates receive very tightly focused business training, which is relevant to their companies. At any one time, CCI is recruiting civic clubs to host delegates from over 60 specific industry types.

PEP gives Americans a chance to showcase their companies and their communities. Russian delegates are trained in local companies and hosted in homes arranged by sponsoring civic clubs. Rotary International sponsors about 80 percent of PEP delegations; Kiwanis International sponsors about 10 percent; and a variety of civic, religious and educational organizations sponsor the remaining delegations.

PEP delegates report that when they return to Russia they institute management-style changes, develop strategic plans and experience a new confidence in themselves – both in their personal lives and in business. Frequently their businesses dramatically accelerate when they apply what they learned from their American business trainers.