home > conference - November 24-25, 2003

Enterprise Development Impact Assessment Information Service (EDIAIS)

NEW DIRECTIONS IN IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT: METHODS AND PRACTICE

Pat Richardson, Director WISE Development/Associate, Durham University Business School and Keith Herrmann, Research Associate Durham University Business School

The Provider Facilitator Challenge in a Weak Market Place

Link to full paper

ABSTRACT

The paradigm in which donor support for business development service interventions takes place has been undergoing some significant changes during the past five years, with a general shift to a 'market based' and 'market-making approach'. In this approach the general tone is that development interventions should be about facilitating the environment for and in which private sector business development services can be efficiently and effectively provided.

This paper looks at the experiences of working on a longitudinal and participative impact assessment of a fair trade business development project, working in the context of the very weak market place of Malawi. The paper looks at a number of challenges engaging in the poverty impact assessment of a process project as it evolves within the context of changes in both the development aid arena and the socio-economic environment.

Key challenges faced to date relate to the following issues: What is the purpose of impact assessment as distinct from performance review especially, when assessment is implemented in the early stages of a project? Given the nature of many business development services i.e. consultancy counselling and training, the influence of an intervention is critically aligned/embedded in the attitude and competence of individuals as delivery or facilitation agents. This is much more so than with the delivery of micro finance, for example. Is it really possible to unravel and distinguish between individual/project performance and project impact assessment? Are the market paradigm concepts of 'provider' and 'facilitator' so clear on the ground and how are they practiced in a weak market context. Who owns the process and outputs of impact assessment and is it possible to really engage in participative impact assessment with cross-cultural, multiple institutional perspectives and agendas? Trust is critical for this and yet projects operate over relatively short periods of time.

Key challenges faced to date relate to the following issues: What is the purpose of impact assessment as distinct from performance review especially, when assessment is implemented in the early stages of a project? Given the nature of many business development services i.e. consultancy counselling and training, the influence of an intervention is critically aligned/embedded in the attitude and competence of individuals as delivery or facilitation agents. This is much more so than with the delivery of micro finance, for example. Is it really possible to unravel and distinguish between individual/project performance and project impact assessment? Are the market paradigm concepts of 'provider' and 'facilitator' so clear on the ground and how are they practiced in a weak market context. Who owns the process and outputs of impact assessment and is it possible to really engage in participative impact assessment with cross-cultural, multiple institutional perspectives and agendas? Trust is critical for this and yet projects operate over relatively short periods of time.

The paper reflects on these challenges, draws on nearly three years of experience on the ground, and draws lessons at policy, programme and project level.

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