OSCE promotes new methodology to support small business sector

VIENNA, 14 June 2007 - A new methodology to evaluate State programmes aimed at supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SME) was the focus of a meeting in Vienna yesterday.

The event was organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities and the OSCE Office in Yerevan, with participation of the UNDP, UNIDO, OECD and EBRD experts.

Participants discussed the "System of Indicators for Evaluation of State Supported SME Development Programmes" developed by the Armenian company Alpha Plus Consulting at the initiative and support of the OSCE Office in Yerevan.

"At different points of designing, implementing or evaluating programmes for SMEs, there is a need for verifiable indicators enabling the government agencies and other project stakeholders to judge effectiveness and efficiency of these programmes," said Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin, the Head of OSCE Office in Yerevan.

Bernard Snoy, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, added: "The developed system of indicators is of a universal nature, it could be utilized in many OSCE participating States and help them build a strong SME sector."

Marek Belka, the Executive Secretary of the UNECE, noted in a letter to the OSCE: "This pioneering work could add value to the international endeavour in the area of entrepreneurship and enterprise development."

Participants agreed on the potential for the wide utilization of the new methodology mainly as a management and self-evaluation tool for governments. They emphasized its complementary nature with other performance assessment instruments such as the European Charter for Small Enterprises and the OECD SME Policy Index.