Rights-based Approaches and Bilateral Aid Agencies: More Than a Metaphor?

It could be argued that the rights based approach … is no more than ametaphor; a concept that catalyses a set of values into a phrase that many people can adopt and adapt. It is a general statement in favour of equitable development, involving widespread participation of those with no direct control of, or access to, the power of the state … If we still take rights as a legal concept then much of what passes as rights based is unlikely to be successful because there are often no state bodies committed to meeting the obligations implied. There is also a sense in that the “emperor has no clothes ” as there are too many people arguing about the details of what a rights approach should be and how it should be operationalised.Meanwhile, this is happening in the absence of any clear idea of what it is they are engaging with. (Pratt 2003: 2)

Assessing the impact of microfinance programming on children: an evaluation from post-tsunami Aceh

This paper presents an evaluation of the long‐term impact of microfinance programmes on Acehnese children during the post‐tsunami recovery. The study, conducted from June to August 2010, examined the impact of microfinance programming six years after the tsunami. The sample consisted of 185 microfinance participants, with a comparison group of 192 individuals who did not participate in microfinance programmes. All respondents were parents, interviewed through a structured survey. The study used four child protection indicators—diet, health, childcare and education—in contrast to traditional repayment rate indicators. The primary results were insignificant with respect to all four child protection indicators, suggesting that, with respect to these indicators, there was no long‐term difference between the impact of microfinance on beneficiaries' children and non‐beneficiaries' children. These findings signify a need for microfinance actors to move beyond traditional indicators of economic success to evaluate the social changes microfinance programmes are presumed to effect

Legal & regulatory framework governing SMEs establishment, operation and growth : final report

Library has Arabic versio

Past, Present and Future : SMEPOLicy in Egypt; conference report, January 15-16, 2008

Arabic version available in IDRC Digital LibraryThe focus of the Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Development Project (SMEPol) has been on developing research-based Micro/SME policies in key areas such as SME Competitiveness, Access to Finance, Legal Reform, and Government Procurement. The conference highlights policy achievements, including reflections on lessons learned; it provides a forum for sharing Egyptian and international experiences on SME policy and program developments, and for generating momentum for the next stage of SME development efforts in Egypt. This report provides a synopsis of presentations and conference activities

Roundtable on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (M/SME) Data and Indicators, September 26th, 2007 : summary of discussions and conclusions [Arabic version]

Text in ArabicEnglish version available in IDRC Digital Librar

Past, Present and Future : SMEPOLicy in Egypt; conference report, January 15-16, 2008 [Arabic version]

Text in ArabicEnglish version available in IDRC Digital Librar

Path to growth : experiences of Egyptian entrepreneurs

The study brings together profiles of nine growth companies in Egypt and the entrepreneurs behind them. The Small and Medium Enterprise Policy (SMEPol) Project aimed to learn about their growth experiences and strategies and to present them as good practices. Most of the companies started as micro or very small firms, and at varying rates, over varying periods of time, have grown exponentially. The study found that while strong growth firms accounted for less than seven percent of all firms, they were responsible for half of the net jobs created by continuing firms from 1993 to 2003