Success Stories

Closely participated in the development of a fundamental 1000-page document covering the national economy and its 11 key sectors, defining Azerbaijan's development and economic reform strategy for the next 10 years.

Within the project framework, activities of state agencies, international organizations, and entrepreneurs were successfully coordinated on a single platform.

A fundamental State Program aligned with international standards was developed to ensure the population's access to safe food, increase the export potential of local products, and boost agricultural productivity.

The document was fully agreed with all relevant state bodies and approved in just 10 months, and was highly evaluated by authoritative international organizations such as the UN and World Bank.

A completely new governance mechanism was designed to measure the implementation effectiveness and results-orientation of state programs, strategic roadmaps, and economic incentive projects.

A corresponding regulatory decree draft was prepared to transfer strategic monitoring and evaluation powers to the Center for Analysis and Economic Reforms and Communications (CAERC) for the institutional implementation of this system.

A comprehensive institutional development strategy was developed to ensure the agency's capacity building, apply the "farm-to-fork" principle across all stages of the food chain, and establish a risk-based inspection mechanism.

Within the project, an internal audit (SWOT/PESTEL analysis) of the existing laboratory infrastructure and legislative base was conducted, and the agency's mission, vision, and key performance indicators (KPIs) were defined and integrated into the governance structure.

ASR Development and Consulting Group served as a subcontractor for Sibley International LLC, which implemented USAID's Azerbaijan Competitiveness and Trade (ACT) Project. The project's objective was to improve the general legal and regulatory environment for business, create a more open and transparent trade environment, and strengthen value chains in Azerbaijan. The company ensured the execution of and provided oversight for local policy specialist positions within the project framework.

Our local team managed all ACT Project assistance related to WTO accession. This included organizing bilateral and multilateral meetings, monitoring comments on draft laws, responding to WTO member questions, collecting statistics, assessing the impact of trade reforms, preparing policy documents, and supporting negotiations related to the agricultural sector.

Performance and Impact: As a result of the local team's intensive support, more than 60 legislative acts in trade-related areas were developed, of which 20 were adopted in compliance with WTO requirements and international best practices.

A number of institutional reforms proposed by the project were successfully implemented by the government. All these results made a significant contribution to improving the business and trade environment, reducing administrative barriers, and facilitating local producers' access to international markets.

Based on a memorandum of understanding, ASR Development and Consulting Group conducted consecutive surveys over 3 years with regional farmers benefiting from the Azerbaijan Competitiveness and Trade (ACT) project. The primary objective of the monitoring was to measure progress in dairy, aquaculture, and pomegranate farms in the central, southern, and northern regions, and to assess the effectiveness of the ACT project.

The research timeline was successfully executed in phases:

• Year 1 (September–October 2011): Initial survey conducted among 250 farmers.
• Year 2 (July–November 2012): Regional coverage expanded with 405 farmers included.
• Year 3 (June–July 2013): Final evaluation conducted again among 405 farmers.

Performance and impact: Our company's professional project team precisely tracked how farmers applied the innovative farming development practices learned during training in a real business environment. Important analytical assessments were conducted based on empirical data collected through surveys.

This activity created a strategic reporting base that allowed for transparent measurement of the ACT project's real economic impact and effectiveness on regional businesses, particularly in terms of increasing production volume, growing sales turnover, and multiplying net profit.

ASR Consulting and Research Group conducted an important research project within the framework of a program financed by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and Tokyo Engineering Consultants Co. (TEC) Ltd. The research was conducted within the "State Program on Provincial Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project."

The main objective of the survey was to determine the current market prices and productivity of land plots to be used for the construction of water and sewage pipelines. Within the project framework, detailed data on land quality, prices, and perennial plants and trees located on these areas in over 10 villages across 6 different districts of Azerbaijan were collected and a comprehensive report was prepared. For this purpose, our research team held numerous formal and practical meetings with various local government bodies, municipalities, state notaries, and land-owning farmers.

Performance and impact: The primary strategic benefit of these activities and large-scale field research was to ensure transparency and fairness during infrastructure construction.

The precise data collected formed an invaluable legal-economic basis for the fully correct, fair, and market-value-based calculation of compensation amounts to be paid by the Azerbaijani government to local landowners and farmers whose properties were used for laying water and sewage lines.

The primary goal of the Income Generation Project (IGP) program was to address priority issues directly affecting the quality of life of internally displaced persons (IDPs), develop their community organization skills, and empower IDP communities to create sustainable employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Acting as a subcontractor for the community development center, ASR Development and Consulting Group executed business capacity building activities to enable displaced communities to operate effectively in the existing market and economic environment.

Our company's professional experts taught participants the principles of business management in agricultural and non-agricultural directions. The training program covered fundamental topics including bookkeeping, gross profit analysis, budgeting, investment and risk analysis, business plan preparation, legal establishment of LLCs, tax regulations, credit lines, and modern market chain analysis.

Performance and impact: The intensive technical, advisory, and financial support provided within the project caused significant socio-economic revitalization in the regions.

Ensuring the provision of safer food to the population, increasing agricultural productivity, and expanding the export potential of local products to foreign markets.

The State Program enabled the Food Safety Agency to implement food safety system-building activities in a unified framework with a results-oriented approach.

Ensuring consumer access to safe food based on advanced international practices and standards, protecting consumer rights, and controlling imported and exported food products.

A necessary legal framework was created to facilitate the export of local products, ensuring full harmonization with international standards.

Improving the legal foundations of the phytosanitary control system, taking into account the current state of plant health in the country and advanced international practices.

A regulatory framework was established for aligning import-export procedures with international requirements and strengthening phytosanitary control.

Forming a legislative base in the areas of protecting animal health, ensuring epizootic stability, and aligning veterinary oversight with international standards.

The institutional structure of the veterinary service and control mechanisms based on OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) standards were translated into a legal framework.

Implementing reforms in the technical regulation system, establishing mandatory requirements for product safety, and aligning this area with international principles.

The final edition was prepared; conformity assessment was restructured based on the ISO/IEC system, and the legal status of accreditation bodies was strengthened.

Modernizing the standardization system, encouraging business entities to adopt voluntary standards, and integrating the national standardization base with international requirements.

With the preparation of the final edition, the principles of ISO/IEC international standardization were fully reflected, and the legal framework for voluntary standards was established.

Aligning the accreditation system with international requirements and principles, and defining transparency and competency criteria for conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, certification bodies) in the country.

The legal basis for international recognition of services was improved, and EA (European Accreditation) requirements were fully reflected.

Based on advanced international practices, defining the legal framework for protecting healthy competition in the market, preventing monopolistic activity, and carrying out institutional reforms in the field of competition.

A model adapted to Azerbaijan's conditions was developed taking into account the main principles of EU competition law, and antimonopoly control mechanisms were strengthened.

A 1000-page complex document package defining the development and economic reform strategy for the national economy and its 11 different sectors over the next 10 years.

Closely participated in the development, provided overall management, and directly developed several Roadmaps.

Coordination of the activities of 18 Working Groups established within the Commission with the purpose of improving the country's position in international rankings (Doing Business, Global Competitiveness, Economic Freedom Index, etc.).

The implementation mechanisms of working groups chaired by deputy ministers were established, and the monitoring framework for the action plan was created.

Establishing a single regulatory and supervisory central executive authority in the field of food safety, and defining the legal foundations of its institutional structure and areas of activity.

With the establishment of the agency, state food oversight functions were consolidated under a single umbrella, and regulatory effectiveness in the sector was significantly enhanced.

Supporting the activities of SME entities, improving the management system, and creating a legal framework for providing government services to entrepreneurs in a single location ("SME House").

The institutional structure, financial mechanisms, and legal foundations of the SME house concept were established, and activity documents for the sector were prepared.

Mechanisms for protecting macroeconomic stability, regulating the exchange rate of the manat, and implementing financial sector recovery measures based on a unified and coordinated approach.

The institutional structure of the Council, decision-making procedures, and coordination mechanisms between member bodies were reflected in the regulatory document.

Establishing a single institutional structure that will ensure effective governance in antimonopoly policy, preventing unfair competition, public procurement, and consumer rights protection.

The legal status, functional powers, regulatory tools, and independence guarantees of the agency were agreed with the parties in the regulatory document.

Consolidation of the protection system for copyright, patents, trademarks, and other intellectual property objects, and optimization of governance in this field.

The consolidation of scattered functions under a single agency, a legal framework compliant with WIPO standards, and a mechanism for fulfilling international treaty obligations were defined.

Abolishing outdated standardization institutions, establishing a modern quality infrastructure, and redistributing regulatory functions in the sector.

Institutional changes in standardization, metrology, and accreditation were regulated within a unified Presidential Decree, and a model aligned with international practice was established.

Transferring monitoring and evaluation powers to the Center for Analysis and Economic Reforms and Communications (CAERC) to increase the effectiveness of oversight over the implementation of state programs, strategic roadmaps, and economic incentive projects.

The legal status, functional framework, reporting mechanisms, and interaction procedures with other state bodies of CAERC were reflected in the draft regulatory document.

Analysis of the WTO compliance of more than 20 national legislative acts in the areas of foreign trade, customs, standards, intellectual property, sanitary, veterinary, and phytosanitary measures.

Arguments and harmonization proposals for bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations were jointly prepared, and gap analysis was conducted under the GATT, TBT, SPS, and TRIPS Agreements.

Developing legal mechanisms to protect the domestic market and local producers from foreign dumping (unfairly cheap imports) and subsidized import threats.

In accordance with the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the mechanisms for applying protective measures were defined, and the procedural framework for anti-dumping investigations was established.

Increasing the transparency of public procurement, defining the legal status of electronic tender platforms, and aligning open tender procedures with international standards.

Regulatory documents on appeal mechanisms, open tender procedures, and the legal basis of the e-procurement system were prepared, taking into account the UNCITRAL Model Law.

Preparation of the final version of the draft law on amendments to the Law "On Trademarks and Geographical Indications" with the aim of improving trademark protection mechanisms based on international experience, and achieving its adoption through coordination with relevant bodies.

Preparation of the final version of the draft law on amendments to the Law "On Patents" with the aim of aligning the legal protection of industrial property objects with modern challenges, and achieving its adoption through coordination with all state bodies.