Performance Evaluation Report: Local Value Chain Enhancement (LEVE) Activity
Summary — This report evaluates USAID/Haiti's Local Enterprise Value Chain Enhancement (LEVE) Activity, which aimed to improve MSME competitiveness in agriculture, apparel/textiles, and construction. The evaluation found LEVE largely successful in agriculture and apparel/textiles due to its 'light-touch' approach, but less so in construction due to sector informality.
Key Findings
- LEVE was successful in achieving its four objectives in the agriculture and apparel/textile sectors.
- LEVE's 'light-touch' facilitation and training-based interventions are likely to be sustainable.
- Systematic challenges in the construction sector hindered LEVE's success in that sector.
- Adaptive management allowed LEVE to tailor interventions to the Haitian context.
- Working with the Government of Haiti requires careful management of personal relationships and identifying champions within technical offices.
Full Description
The five-year Local Enterprise and Value Chain Enhancement (LEVE) Activity sought to achieve four objectives across three sectors (agriculture, apparel and textiles, and construction): to enable MSMEs to work together to mutually create value; provide MSME’s with access to a productive and skilled labor pool; improve the sustainability of Haitian businesses benefiting from LEVE; and identify and improve synergies among existing activities and interventions. Based on key informant interviews and focus group discussions, the Activity was a qualified success. The Activity achieved all four of its objectives in the agriculture and the apparel and textile sectors. However, an issue beyond LEVE’s control – specifically the sector’s informality – hindered its ability to achieve its objectives in the construction sector. LEVE achieved its objectives in two sectors because of its ‘light-touch’ Activity design, which was predicated upon facilitating business linkages, training new laborers, and organizational capacity building. Longitudinal surveys with LEVE beneficiaries will be essential to evaluate the extent of LEVE’s long-term impact and sustainability.