Forum - September 2008

MORE AND MORE ASSOCIATIONS ARE FINDING THEIR BUSINESS DOES NOT END AT THE U.S. BORDERS. DOING BUSINESS WITH ANOTHER COUNTRY CAN BE A VERY SUCCESS- FUL VENTURE, AS LONG AS AN ORGANIZATION FOLLOWS A FEW GUIDELINES FOR INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT. THIS ARTICLE SHOWCASES TWO SUCCESS STORIES, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS AND THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR QUALITY. BOTH ARE ENGAGING WITH CHINA, ALTHOUGH THE LESSONS CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL.

THE FIRST STEPS

Set Goals: As with any new program, you will first want to be clear about your goals and what you are trying to accomplish by increasing your engagement with another country. Is it to increase and better serve members there? Enhance the profile of your profession and association? Provide an opportunity for members to train or network with their colleagues in the country? Sell products or services? Each of these goals will call for different ways of proceeding, so to effectively use the association’s resources, it is important that you clarify what it is you are trying to accomplish.

Do Your Research: Learn about the country (culture, legal environment, etc.), and the professional field or potential market for your products prior to setting any specific goals. There are many ways to do this initial research, especially on the Internet. One place to start is www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/

Develop your network: When beginning to engage with a new country/cul-ture, especially a culture like China that thrives on personal relationships, it is important to develop your network of contacts who can help you to navigate your way.

Identifying challenges as well as opportunities: Given the organizational effort and time commitment needed to engage with China (see case studies beginning in the next column), you should assess your internal commitment and possible challenges, as well as the external challenges of finding your way in the Chinese environment.

Start slowly and build on your success: When developing a new program as complex as engaging with a country like China, you will be best served by phasing your engagement in over a period of years. Reaching your goal often will come after your association has already had some

preliminary exposure to China, such as attendance at a seminar (for example, the Association Forum’s International SIG meeting that focused on China in April 2007) or working with a board, staff or other member who has contacts in the country. Before proceeding to project phases, you should understand the opportunities and challenges of the country that you are entering.

CASESTUDY I:

THEAMERICAN ACADEMYOFPEDIATRICS

The American Academy of Pediatrics runs a program called Pediatric First Aid for Caregivers and Teachers ( PedFACTs). The program is designed to provide basic first aid and CPR information to day care providers, school nurses and teachers.

In December 2006, while in Beijing, China, for another program’s event, staff from the AAP met with a pediatrician from Shanghai who was very interested in developing a first-aid program there. Fortuitously, an AAP attendee had a PedFACTs student manual to share. They then discussed the possibility of the AAP helping to bring this program to China.

“One of the AAP’s biggest concerns in initiating new efforts is always funding, but the Johnson and Johnson Family Health Initiative was more than willing to fund the proposed program,” says Thad Anderson, AAP’s life support programs manager. “After the funding was resolved, the quick timeline was of some concern, as the Chinese were moving very fast. However, it was a great opportunity for the AAP and for PedFACTs, a relatively small program in the U.S., to get international exposure.”

The goal was to help the Chinese develop a train-the-trainer program to train 30,000 teachers who provide care for more than 280,000 children in Shanghai. AAP physician volunteers and staff helped during the translation of the U.S. curriculum into Chinese. At the initial meeting, roles and responsibilities were established, with AAP providing content and the Chinese providing the general structure of how the training would be implemented.