Year
2016

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"This paper presents an aligned yet customizable framework of indicators for measuring farm-level sustainability in smallholder agricultural supply chains. These indicators are proposed primarily in the context of performance measurement, but can also be useful for more in-depth impact evaluation studies. The proposal is not for one single common set of indicators, but rather for using the same indicators when asking the same types of questions at the farm and household level. The authors argue that using the same indicators when asking the same questions in smallholder supply chains will increase comparability across data collection efforts and ensure that the community is building on the common understanding of how to gather credible, affordable, and useful data that facilitates learning."

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"All corporations seek to differentiate themselves and look for new ways to create value. But, how does an organization change the way it does business? This guide addresses three key questions: 1) What is the business benefit and why should my business consider alternative options in its innovation and investment strategy? 2) What steps can I take to begin the process of designing our corporate innovation and investment strategy so that it creates positive outcomes? 3) Who can I work with to make this happen and what forms of collaboration exist in the market that I can learn from?"

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"Large amounts of funding are going towards programmes to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in low- and middle-income countries in order to increase revenue and profits, generate employment, and, so, create economic growth and reduce poverty. The Campbell review summarizes evidence of the impact of these programmes on measures of SME performance including revenues, profits, and productivity, as well as the firms’ ability to generate employment and increase their labour productivity Included studies examine interventions targeted at SMEs (up to 250 employees) involving tax simplification, exports and access to external markets; support for innovation policies; support to local production systems; training and technical assistance, and SME financing and credit guarantee programmes. Findings from 40 studies are summarised in the review. These studies present evidence from 18 low- and middle-income countries, with 26 studies analysing programmes in Latin America, six from Asia and five from Africa."

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"The purpose of the information presented in this report is to inventory different organizations in Uganda that could help build local capacity and catalyze and accelerate SME development and growth. The report includes a contextual overview of Uganda, which helps to shed light on some of the challenges and opportunities for SME development and poverty alleviation. This information puts into perspective some of the key sectors that have been the focus of enterprise development activities. The report also includes an overview of key donor programs, as they can often stimulate SME-related activities and also provide a sense of where large interventions in the SME landscape are occurring."

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"This first of a kind report provides detailed cluster analysis of 398 impact enterprises across the three levers in five East African countries. The report is written and presented to be useful to all development sector stakeholders, with specific insights to inform decisions of investors, enterprises, and non-financial support providers across East Africa."

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"This report combines analysis of aggregated portfolios, survey data, and personal stories from participants to illuminate the 100% impact investor experience. We begin by sharing why these investors are creating more positively impactful portfolios - identifying their motivations for impact and "going all in." We then introduce them through their personal stories, demonstrating the diversity, resolve and rigor of their approaches. Next we explore how they got started, and what processes and procedures they followed to commence their respective journeys. We then share select investment strategies and an analysis of the aggregate portfolios through the lens of entity type and asset size. Finally, we address performance, both impact and financial, before concluding with our key takeaways, and debunking of myths."

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"The Business Value of Impact Measurement highlights ways in which impact investors and investees use impact measurement practices to inform investment and management decisions to drive business value. The report focuses on the connection between measuring the social and environmental performance of impact investments, and the application of these data to generate business value for investors and investees."

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"It is designed for organisations working with their stakeholders and for those advising or retained as external consultant to organisations. Although organisations will normally have a good understanding of their stakeholders, it is often the case that the organisations do not have an understanding of the relationship between their activities and the outcomes experienced by stakeholders (the theory of change)."

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"This paper provides a review of the profiles of the subsistence entrepreneurs and their constraints, and the landscape of current entrepreneurship programs and the evidence on impacts, and discusses the potential role of public policies for the livelihoods of subsistence entrepreneurs. Worldwide over a half of workers are self-employed, but a significant fraction of these self-employed jobs are of low productivity subsistence entrepreneurs. The focus of the entrepreneurship programs to support these self-employed in poverty is to improve their livelihoods rather than promoting cutting-edge innovation and business growth. Evidence of successful programs is limited and program designs often seem ill suited to the needs and characteristics of these subsistence entrepreneurs. Given the market failures faced by subsistence entrepreneurs, interventions that complement safety net programs with well-targeted support to promote productive self-employment may hold some promise."

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"Social enterprises address social and environmental problems through innovative business solutions that improve the lives of underserved communities. They are businesses which trade for a social purpose, re-invest surpluses into their social objective, and make themselves accountable for their actions, rather than simply maximising profits for owners and shareholders.

The survey finds that social enterprise is a growing and dynamic sector of the Indian economy that is creating jobs for disadvantaged groups, empowering women, and addressing social exclusion across the country. This study seeks to expand our knowledge of the Indian social enterprise sector and has taken into account the findings of previous researches on the subject."

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