Institution Building for Industrialization

The process of relationship building by way of continued contact with incoming firms at both the pre-operational stage and the early years of operation lies at the heart of international best practice for investment agencies. This chapter describes and evaluates the relationship-building programme initiated in 2013 at the then Ethiopian Investment Agency. The programme’s basic structures, practices, and procedures were put in place during 2013–14. Following the proclamation of June 2014, the Agency became a Commission, and new structures and responsibilities followed. With the appointment of the new deputy commissioners, and since then, the practices and procedures of the relationship-building team have evolved in ways that have led to a substantial improvement in its effectiveness.