Evaluating entrepreneurship education programmes in developing countries Lessons from experience

Although a great deal of time, resources and effort goes into the education of potential or existing entrepreneurs, our knowledge of the effects of this education is still rather limited. It can be argued that an imbalance exists between the substantial amount of finance and manpower invested in entrepreneurship education programmes and the very limited amount of resources invested in the evaluation of these programmes (that is, in analyses of their impact). Based on intercultural research and the personal experiences of the author in the evaluation of entrepreneurship education programmes (EEPs) in developing countries, this paper analyses competing approaches of entrepreneurship education; develops a methodological framework for evaluating these approaches; discusses the main findings of EEP evaluation studies carried out in Brazil, Chile, Kenya, the Philippines and Vietnam; presents 'lessons learned' with respect to theoretical and methodological foundations of EEP evaluations and practical problems concerning their implementation; and draws general conclusions for future research and practice. The intercultural evaluations are based on a 'most different systems' approach, applying a mix of quantitative (questionnaires with open and closed questions) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, on-site-visits, focus-group discussions) tools of social research.