Development Cooperation

How do PSD programmes impact companies in low-income countries, and how can their design be enhanced to foster broader systemic impact?

Our experts have excellent knowledge of international guidelines concerning the design, monitoring and evaluation of private sector development (PSD) programmes. SEO has evaluated many such programmes, which typically include a range of interventions (finance, training, advisory services) for different types of businesses (ranging from micro-entrepreneurs to large multinationals) across a variety of sectors, including agribusiness, trade, healthcare and infrastructure.

How can development finance programmes be optimally utilised to improve access to finance for underserved groups or sectors?

SEO can help organisations to assess and improve development finance programmes that seek to improve access to finance for underserved groups or sectors. We have experience with evaluating various impact funds managed by development finance institutions (DFIs) or multilateral development banks, focused on financial inclusion or climate finance. When doing so, we pay particular attention to ensuring that development finance instruments are additional to the market and focus on the most underserved groups (such as MSMEs, farmers, youth and women) or sectors (e.g. climate finance). Finally, we also provide advice on designing, monitoring and evaluating programmes aimed at local financial sector development or capital markets development.

How can programmes aimed at enhancing capacity be effectively monitored and assessed to ensure sustainable impact?

SEO has specific experience with monitoring programmes that aim to enhance the capacity of individuals, groups and organisations. We do this for programmes that focus on training disadvantaged groups (for example refugees, small-scale farmers, or female micro-entrepreneurs) as well as for clients such as the IMF and the World Bank who focus on capacity development (CD) of public officials. We support our clients with better measuring the impact of such programmes and provide recommendations for making this impact more sustainable. In addition, SEO’s own experts contribute themselves to CD by offering training courses to private and public sector clients (including in various evaluation methods) and by conducting research jointly with our clients and partners.

How can development programmes improve food security in a sustainable way?

SEO has conducted numerous evaluations of food security programmes in Africa and Asia. In these evaluations, we always pay specific attention to the socio-economic, financial, and environmental sustainability of the interventions. Together with our partners, we also provide direct advice to development organisations on the best way to increase incomes for smallholder farmers and build sustainable agricultural value chains in low-income countries.