Do Policies Work

This article discusses the critical need for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of SME and entrepreneurship policies. It introduces the new OECD Framework designed to help policymakers conduct reliable evaluations to determine if their programs are achieving their intended goals.

Evaluating the Impacts of SME and Entrepreneurship Policies

WHAT’S THE ISSUE?

Is SME and entrepreneurship policy having its intended effects? Do the benefits of specific programmes justify their costs? Could these benefits be achieved more cost-effectively through alternative approaches?

Evaluation provides the key to answering these questions by determining the relevance, efficiency, and effectiveness of a policy or programme in relation to its objectives. This is particularly important in the field of SME and entrepreneurship policy, where questions often arise regarding whether current policies are fit for purpose or if the scope and focus need adjustment. For example, does the policy mix need to be shifted, or should the target enterprises and entrepreneurs be modified?

However, reliable impact evaluation is rare in this field compared to areas like labour market policy, despite recent improvements in data and methods. A significant barrier is the lack of widespread knowledge among policymakers on how to conduct reliable impact assessments.

The OECD Framework

The recently published OECD Framework for the Evaluation of SME and Entrepreneurship Policies seeks to address these challenges through two major contributions:

It outlines how to achieve reliable impact evaluation in SME and entrepreneurship policy, including a six-step scale to judge the reliability of any evaluation or evaluation method.
It provides a summary of existing knowledge regarding policy impacts, drawing from international meta-evaluations and reliable individual studies across a wide range of OECD countries.

WHY ATTEND THE WEBINAR?

This event will launch the OECD’s new Framework for the Evaluation of SME and Entrepreneurship Policies and Programmes. It offers an opportunity to engage in debate and discussion with constituents from the OECD and ICSB communities. Key topics include:

* What are the features of reliable impact evaluation?
* What is the evidence from past evaluations?
* What are the lessons for future policy design and evaluation practice?