Indicators and Methods for Assessing Entrepreneurship Training Programmes

Abstract

Entrepreneurship training programmes are an important component of demand side job creation strategies in developing countries (Fox and Kaul, 2017). Assessments of such programmes are constrained by variations in the programme content, as entrepreneurship training is often combined with grants, life-skills training, internships and mentorship. The targets of these programmes also vary and include vulnerable groups, subsistence entrepreneurs as well as firms which have greater potential for growth. The indicators of success should be adapted to suit the objectives and target group of the programme. Given the varied nature of entrepreneurship training programmes it is unsurprising that a range of indicators are used to assess them. The indicators can be grouped into three broad categories: indicators of business practices, indicators of business performance and psychological indicators. Income and profits are the most commonly used indicator (Cho & Honorati, 2014). Randomised control trials which compare treatment and control groups are the gold standard method for assessing entrepreneurship training programmes. However, the quality of these studies can be improved by having larger sample sizes, baseline assessments before the intervention and three to four follow-up assessments to assess the long-term success of the programme.