Impact Assesment of Rural Enterprise Development Projects

This paper outlines the particular context of rural situations for enterprise development and the associated issues and approaches in the introduction. It also addresses key questions:

• What is Impact Assessment (IA)?
• Who is IA for and why is it needed?
• How can impact be assessed in rural situations?

The paper explores these questions by studying innovative methods emerging from Enterprise Development Impact Assessment (EDIA) and other rural development fields such as:

• Incorporation of baseline in participatory needs assessment or client application;
• Alternatives to formal questionnaire sample surveys;
• Increasing stakeholder participation and connection in assessment;
• Introduction of open systems, more qualitative assessment, and refinement of indicators;
• Introduction of process or formative evaluation systems;
• Integration of assessment with all stages of project cycle, incorporation of livelihoods concept;
• Consideration of equity and sustainability alongside production.

The author concludes that the only possible blueprint for Impact Assessment for Rural Enterprise Development is to have an acceptable framework that will address the needs of key stakeholders and a toolbox of innovative methods compatible with such an approach that can be tailored to each unique situation.