Message-ID: <MAC.950812215315@maine.maine.EDU> Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 21:53:15 EDT From: "Dennis McConnell - Univ. of Maine, USA" <mailto:mac@MAINE.MAINE.EDU> Subject: Enterprise Development Discussion List To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
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ENTER-L DISCUSSION LIST
Enterprise Development in Developing Countries
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A new discussion list, known as ENTER-L, may be of interest to
members of this list. The discussion group will focus on enter-
prise development in developing countries, with special attention
to micro and small enterprises. Provided below are several ob-
servations about the purpose of the list, provided by the list
manager.
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DEFINITIONS. How should we define an enterprise and what topology
should we use? should we make a strong distinction between micro
and small enterprises (MSEs) small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
and medium and large scale enterprises (MLEs) ? is the concept of
enterprise development synonymous to private sector development
and if so how do we define private sector? is it strictly in
opposition to what we define as the public sector?
THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT. How important is it? how can it be
improved? is it a prerequisite to any intervention for enterprise
development? What kind of policies should be developed ? should
we have different policies for different target groups?
FINANCE. This is often seen as a key component of any micro and
small enterprise development project but a lot remains to be
explored from the point of view of the development practitioner.
Guarantee Funds for instance, are they or are they not effective
in changing Commercial Banks attitude towards the financing of
micro and small enterprises? I have my doubts...
SUPPORTING SYSTEMS (technical advice, management training, etc.).
Most people agree that they are essential but what about cost
recovery and sustainability? can it be done? and how? The ex-
perience so far is mixed. Should the private sector pay for it
and what happens with the microenterprises which cannot afford
the extra expenses? should it be included upfront as part of the
credit costs? how effective are endowment funds?
TRAINING AND TRAINING OF TRAINERS. Essential again but it seems
that we are forever rediscovering the wheel. Couldn't it be
possible to find out what are the best training practices and
where they can be accessed?
EDUCATION AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT. What kind of interface?
what kind of policies? what is the impact of the distinction
between direct employment and self employment? What sort of
interface should be developed between technical education and
vocational training and enterprise development?
TECHNOLOGY. Everyone agrees that it should be appropriate but
most of the so-called appropriate technologies have not stood
that well the economic test of the market place. What are the
best ways to achieve sustainable technology transfer?
MARKETS. For a long time the emphasis has been on a supply ap-
proach to enterprise development (in particular with regards to
credit) There seems now to be a shift towards a demand approach.
What are the implications and how could market development be
better achieved?
THE INFORMAL SECTOR. No one disputes its importance (in numbers)
but the prevailing vision is one of survival, low productivity
and very little value added, in other words an inescapable evil
when it comes to economic growth. Can we and should we challenge
that perception? I personally think we should.
THE ENTREPRENEUR. Who is he or she? without getting on the debate
"entrepreneurs are born not made" how successful have been the
various entrepreneurship development programmes? what about
incubators?
NETWORKING. There are some very interesting new initiatives on
entrepreneurs networking. What can we learn from them?
PRIVATIZATION. It normally applies to larger enterprises but have
we learned something in the process which could be applied to
smaller enterprises? What lessons can be learnt from what hap-
pened in Eastern Europe and Russia?
EMPLOYMENT CREATION. It is now the number one issue in most
developed economies (the recently elected President of France
stated that it is his first priority) Is there anything we can
learn from the new approaches which are going to be developed?
What is the interface with enterprise development?
URBANIZATION. A recent Club of Sahel study, the WALTS study ( the
West African Long Term Study ) indicates that the urban economies
will be the driving forces pulling agricultural development. What
are the implications for the ways we used to look at rural devel-
opment and enterprise development? Is a new paradigm being born
which would fill the gap between the old industrial and agricul-
tural development paradigms?
ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING AND PLANNING. What is the
present State of The Art in enterprise development? at the
policy programming and operational levels? what kind of approach
should we favor? an integrated horizontal approach or a vertical
subsectoral approach?
GENDER AND ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT. Most of microenterprises are
women, and they are also considered better credit risks. What are
the best approaches to include women in enterprise development?
should it be women only type of approaches (such as the Women's
World Banking approach) or should it integrate gender issues in
enterprise development and if such how?
Those are only examples of potential discussions which could take
place and I am sure there are many others. It is now up to all
of us to get the discussion going
Jean-Claude Lorin
Senior Analyst, Entrepreneurship and Private Sector
Africa and Middle East Branch
Canadian International Development Agency
Fax: +1-819-953-5834
Tel: +1-819-997-1515
E-Mail: mailto:jeanclaude_lorin@ccigate.acdi-cida.gc.ca
To subscribe to the list:
1. Address e-mail to: mailto:LISTSERV@DEVCAN.CA
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3. In the Message: SUBSCRIBE ENTER-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
4. Then SEND the message
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