We Effect- Entreprise and Business Development

The programme was intended to build upon a similar project, Enterprise Development Programme 2011 – 2013. The programme aim to contribute to the reconstruction of the economy in Zimbabwe by “Sustainable economic development of vulnerable groups comprising of women, men and youth smallholder producers to economically empowered and innovative entrepreneurs”. The EBDP was implemented in 8 districts of Zimbabwe namely Seke, Buhera, Goromonzi, Mutare, Chimanimani, Zaka, Gweru, and Umzingvane. The project had as one of the goals to create 60 000 entrepreneur through creating savings and loan groups, capacity building through study circles and training, value chain analysis and business coaching. We Effect selected three NGOs as their implementing partners and assessed their ability to work through an organizational and financial assessment and provided capacity building to the partners’ staff to carry out the implementation. The project design was by and large relevant. They aligned with the priorities set out in Sida's strategy for Zimbabwe, the global strategies for We Effect and the needs of the beneficiaries. Effectiveness: The programme is assessed to have  been  effective, fulfilling the majorities of the goals set-up. In terms of Efficiency: The Embasssy assesses the results and compared it to the fulfilment of the expected output and its relative cost. The overall judgement is that the programme has been overall efficient compared to the goals. However, the programme management and the monitoring framework have been meeting the budget but is a major part of the costs. The prospects for sustainability of results are good for the majority of the components due to a high degree of relevance and the reporting coming from the beneficiaries. Impact: The most visible positive impacts of the project at the beneficiary level are: increasing disposable household incomes; improved community cohesion; improvement of entrepreneurial skills; improved status of women through asset ownership; There is no doubt that the programme achieved what it set out to do: mobilize 60 000 people, train them to start income generating activities, in some cases also starting enterprises, implement. Implementing the savings and lending clubs and initiating the study circles to cascade the capacity building. The focus groups gave much credit to the ISAL groups for not only generating cash for financing the building up enterprises but also as an income generating activity. The impression given was that for some, this was the only income generating activity they participated in because the pay-off of the lending was so good. A three year programme is really not long enough to evaluate the impact and the sustainability of the training, coaching and mentoring of these entrepreneurs. The true measurement comes after a few years when the survival rate of the businesses is clearer with regards to; how many jobs have been created, how effective the markets and market linkages have been and whether the local market is big enough to sustain the businesses? The conclusion can be made that the programme has been successful in mobilizing people, getting ISALs started and the study circles going. In addition, the number of people trained is impressiveThough the stated targets and indicators of the program are mostly output based which have largely been achieved according to project reports. More outcome based targets would have been helpful in determining the effectiveness. The programme document defines the targets groups of being women, men and youth, youth obviously being a sub-group of women and men. It appears  this category has been forgotten as there are no specific activities mentioned for engaging youth or any indicator for measuring the ratio of youths. The cost efficiency of the project is a multi dimensional aspect. On the whole, it seems as a reasonable cost efficient programme, spending 17 million SEK by mobilizing 60 000 entrepreneurs, starting 7 500 savings and lending groups, engaging 39 000 people in study circles and having 35 000 to 40 000 people attending training in technical skills, business skills, and saving concepts. All of this for less than 300 SEK (33 USD) per person. The Embassy is of the view that there is potential for cost efficiency improvement through improved programme management as it is a major part of the programme cost.

Sustainable economic development of vulnerable groups comprising of women, men and youth small holder producers to economically empowered and innovative entrepreneurs