Message-Id:  <MAC.950812215315@maine.maine.EDU>
Date:         Sat, 12 Aug 1995 21:53:15 EDT
Reply-To: "Dennis McConnell - Univ. of Maine, USA" <mac@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Sender: Technology Transfer in International Development
              <DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
From: "Dennis McConnell - Univ. of Maine, USA" <mac@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Subject:      Enterprise Development Discussion List
To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <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: jeanclaude_lorin@ccigate.acdi-cida.gc.ca

To subscribe to the list:
1. Address e-mail to: LISTSERV@DEVCAN.CA
2. Leave SUBJECT blank
3. In the Message: SUBSCRIBE ENTER-L Yourfirstname Yourlastname
4. Then SEND the message
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