Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality-Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, Final evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.1 Global and regional strategies for livelihoods with attention to social inclusion

Recommendation: Promote and facilitate South-South exchange on experience with programming on the IE among target countries as a means toward further capacity development.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence samples: The evaluation found that the program has raised awareness among regional actors of the importance of promoting women’s entrepreneurship and gender equality using national experience. A bottom-up approach was a major strength of the programme. It was responsive to national priorities and focus on national partners.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.7 Institution and capacity strengthening on IE

Recommendation: 6. Ensure that the selection of an appropriate structure (within government) is carefully identified as there needs to be sufficient buy-in from the structure to attain real policy change. Determine that there is a real interest of the agency in participating in the project. The choice may not always be the most immediately obvious line ministry or office within a government entity. Ensure that projects plan continued advocacy, follow up and diplomacy to mediate any internal conflicts and/or competition within such offices.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: the evaluation found that a lesson learned for achieving policy change and buy-in to create an enabling environment for WED is linked to the choice of structure to house the project. The choice of structure for housing WED has a major influence on success, greater than might be expected. The project was flexible and found different solutions that appeared best in the varying circumstances. Despite these efforts, it was not always possible to predict the ideal structure nor to easily solve any eventual challenges. Internal conflict and competition between individuals and agencies/departments can severely affect implementation. A great deal of advocacy, follow up and diplomacy was needed to mediate such situations.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.7 Institution and capacity strengthening on IE

Recommendation: 8. When developing capacities to provide support to people dependent on the IE, use a broad range of organisation development approaches beyond only providing training. These may include organisation analysis to determine strengths and gaps and providing direct technical support to build on strengths and address gaps.

Evidence samples: The evaluation determined that a good practice was the development of a broad organisation development approach to working with project partners including governments. Direct contacts with the partners relied on a system of identifying strengths and gaps followed up with support to build on strengths and address gaps.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.7 Institution and capacity strengthening on IE

Recommendation: 12. Promote use of methodologies such as the Service Quality Check for Supporting Female and Male Operated Small Enterprises (FAMOS) or USAID’s Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool (OCAT) for organisation needs analysis and progress monitoring. The FAMOS Check is an organizational development tool that enables organizations that provide services to small enterprises to carry out a gender self-check to identify improvements in their operations, in particular in respect to the needs of women entrepreneurs.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: The evaluation found that direct contacts with the partners relied on an informal system of identifying strengths and gaps followed up with support to build on strengths and address gaps. Methodologies such as the Service Quality Check for Supporting Female and Male Operated Small Enterprises (FAMOS) check were implemented with sensitivity to organisation issues beyond only WED or gender. Note that many small enterprises are not formal and/or employ informal workers. Other forms of research on strengths, gaps and opportunities likewise contributed to a comprehensive approach.

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2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.7 Institution and capacity strengthening on IE

Recommendation: 17. Promote capacity strengthening of ministries and other agencies to specifically support women entrepreneurship (including of women dependent on the informal economy) and advocate to make such development a priority.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: The evaluation determined that there is a necessity for continued advocacy and support to help ministries and agencies responsible for private sector development to make women’s entrepreneurship development a priority will be needed.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.1 Social Behaviour Change Communications (SBCC)

Recommendations: 8. When implementing Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) assessments in baseline and end line studies in IE projects, ensure that they are designed in such a way that real change can be measured over time.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: Knowledge, attitudes and practices assessments need to be designed in such a way that they use a combination of different approaches for baseline and end-line. Methodologies need to be fine-tuned to measure change accurately under each of the categories.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.2 Entrepreneurship: Capacity strengthening on economic activities

Recommendation: 5. Be aware in project design and sustainability planning that entrepreneurship promotion programmes usually require an extended time horizon before employment effects become apparent.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: In South Africa two of the women entrepreneurs interviewed for the evaluation actually reported having decreased their employees as a consequence of training. In both cases, the entrepreneur stated that the training had led the entrepreneur to the conclusion that she was not managing her human resources efficiently. As a result, they decided to downsize in order to eventually be in a better position to hire more staff at a later point in time. In one case two employees went on to establish their own micro-enterprises but, as they could no longer be counted as employees for the project trainee, the business was counted as having lost staff. 

An additional point made by some evaluation participants is that it takes time for businesses to grow and that the effects of training on a business needs to be measured over the course of a longer time period.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.2 Entrepreneurship: Capacity strengthening on economic activities

Recommendation: 17. Be aware that some informal economy operators are more interested in receiving consulting/advisory services as opposed to attending training.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: Some entrepreneurs prefer consulting support as opposed to training. Trainers not well versed in consulting need special guidelines on consulting.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.3. Information Technology (IT) and enhancing of livelihoods of people dependent on the IE

Recommendation: 4. Use information technologies (IT) to promote knowledge sharing (see also subject 3.2.2) in projects and to strengthen IE operators’ activities.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: The evaluation noted the use of technologies to promote communications and knowledge sharing on project activities.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 3) Use gender audit tools such as the Service Quality Check for Supporting Female and Male Operated Small Enterprises to determine if the organisation providing effective support to people dependent on the informal economy and small enterprises. The tool permits the organisation to identify for improvement in the way in which an organization reaches out to and serves both women and men. Consult – WEAI Training Materials:

http://www.ilo.ch/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---emp_ent/---ifp_seed/documents/instructionalmaterial/wcms_248595

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: the evaluation noted the use of the Service Quality Check for Supporting Female and Male Operated Small Enterprises (FAMOS ) Check which is a tool for doing a self-check of one’s own organization. It is normally carried out by an internal team with support from external facilitators. The goal of the self-check is to identify opportunities for improvement in the way in which an organization reaches out to and serves both women and men, i.e. Female And Male Operated Small and micro enterprises. 

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 17) Ensure that SBCC targeting both men and women is conducted in projects related to women dependent on the IE on issues of equity in control and decision-making of household resources. Ensure that training includes both female and male trainers on women entrepreneurship activities. This helps broaden understanding of the issues between men and women, including among the trainers.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: Inclusion of both men and women as trainers and to participate in WED training activities.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 23) Review and analyse project training for women engaged in IE work to determine if they are replicable to other situations.

See for example materials on: http://www.ilo.org/empent/areas/womens-entrepreneurship-development-wed/lang--en/index.html

Also consult IESF Library.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality -Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: the project training in South Africa on action planning for Women’s Enterprise Development ED and gender mainstreaming was very useful and brought about concrete results in Mozambique.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 27) Consider in training materials that women’s basic level of education may be inadequate to sufficiently understand the materials ideally. Materials should be adapted prior to training and not rely on facilitators to adapt them during the training itself as some may not be able to do so adequately.

Reference: Zegers, Mei, 2012, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality-Southern Africa- Final Evaluation, Final evaluation, ILO, Geneva, Covered countries: Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa.

Evidence sample: the evaluation indicated that the low level of initial awareness and basic education of some of the women entrepreneur participants in Mozambique, Lesotho, and Malawi rendered it difficult to effectively reach some of the enterprises. While they may be doing well enough in their business to be growth oriented they may not be sufficiently educated to understand the materials ideally. Some trainers are good at adapting methods during training but others need more guidance on how to do so.