Hypotheses/research question
What effects do different types of support, including access to an inspirational role model or business planning support, have on the business success of students enrolled on an entrepreneurship training programme?
Study design
For the role model experiment, clustered by class; For the technical assistance, individual randomization.
Vulnerable micro-entrepreneurs enrolled on an entrepreneurship training programme.
Rounds of data collection
Four: baseline 0 (analysis skills and financial literacy), baseline 1 (individual characteristics), endline 1 (right at the end of the class), endline 2 (around 1 year after the beginning of the class)
Baseline data collection and method
Together with the application form, a short survey on analytic abilities and financial knowledge was included. This survey included four mathematical questions to capture the analytic abilities of the participants before the training and an additional question that measures the level of financial alphabetization. In the fourth class, before the role model session or the technical assistance were provided, a second baseline survey was conducted. The objective was to characterize the participants in terms of their economic situation, labor supply, entrepreneurship, access to credit and banking, and adoption of financial and management techniques.
Data collection method and data collected
Once the training was concluded, a follow-up survey was appliedto obtain information about the participants in terms of their adoption of financial and management techniques, evaluation of the technical assistance received and evaluation of the role model, if applicable. This survey was collected in three different instances. First, the participants who were present in the last class answered the survey there. Second, those who were not present in the last class but who did successfully graduate from the program were asked to answer the survey in their “graduation ceremony,” which shortly followed the end of the class. Finally, the rest of the participants were surveyed by phone. A year after the beginning of the class, a phone survey was conducted the participants’ socioeconomic conditions, business situation, and techniques were measured.
Stratification
For the role model: cohort, county and region. For technical assistance: by class and previous business experience
Delivery partner
Simon de Cirene Foundation
