The Business Development Program for Uruguay's Software Industry: Impact Evaluation Case Study

Abstract

As one of its goals, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) aims to improve the management and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in different sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean. To that end, MIF supports activities that promote the creation and strengthening of support services that will spur development of SMEs and stimulate demand for the use of such services. The Program for the Support of the Software Sector (PASS) in Uruguay presents a good example of how MIF works in tandem with local institutions to strengthen different dimensions of SME development. This case study, prepared based on the PASS impact evaluation conducted five years after project completion, aims to help improve the design, execution, evaluation, and impact of future MIF programs. It is presented as an educational tool for program officers at MIF and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), stakeholders, and potential partnering institutions.