EFFECT-SME : the new MSIC evaluation methodology
Moravian-Silesian Innovation centre Ostrava (MSIC) has developed a methodology for creating effective evaluations of support programs
EFFECT-SME is a project under Horizon 2020 programme within peer-learning of innovation agencies. International team from MSIC (Czechia), Madri+d (Spain) and Steinbeis (Germany) went through a serie of peer-learning workshops and they were mapping each organization’s evaluation habits and challenges in area of support programmes for start-ups and SMEs. The aim was to answer what practices are effective for smaller organisations and save technical, economic and personnel capacities.
The result is a simple methodology suitable for recently founded innovation centres or small business support organizations, which – thanks to this approach – will be able to systematically set up internal evaluation processes and thus avoid beginner’s mistakes, e. g. to monitor the indicators that they may later need to compare the situation before and after the support provided to the start-ups and mature companies. The EFFECT-SME Design Option Paper is available NOW.
This document will guide you through the process of creating your own evaluation process, however, its applicability is much wider – you can study the first part and learn more about evaluations in general, or use the proposed procedures to monitor the impact of other activities.
The demand for evidence-based policy is growing – tangible results and strong arguments for the actions taken is a new standard. Better evaluation processes will therefore allow you to systematically map and collect information. At the same time, the methodology outlines how to adjust and redesign support for companies and respond to their needs in a targeted manner.
See also the EFFECT-SME template on the MIROVERSE platform – it is a complementary result of the project, which aims to significantly facilitate the entire evaluation design. You can work on the template yourself or in a team.