Growing Small and Medium Enterprises: What Works?

On Tuesday, May 14th, 2019,  Marketlinks hosted a webinar to discuss the latest global evidence and USAID/Vietnam's SME activity plans; and shared ideas for how to design or refresh your SME theory of change.

Growing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is an important goal for USAID and many donors, but evidence on what works is still emerging. This webinar was hosted by USAID's Office of Trade & Regulatory Reform to launch a report, Theories of Change: High-Growth SME Development. Natalie Shemwell of Resonance presented the latest evidence in developing countries organized around theories of change for business management, access to finance, business registration and taxes, market access, and innovation. Ron Ashkin of International Executive Service Corps (IESC) discussed USAID/Vietnam's LinkSME activity, designing its theories of change around management consulting and market linkages, and plans for adaptive management using these frameworks.

Check out the post-event resources, including a two-page summary of the report.