In-Country Workshop \u00a0CameroonOf the Project on Social Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Business Incubation in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ghana
\n\u00a0Date: 5th May 2021\u00a0 \/\u00a0 Time: 09:00 \u2013 17:30 Venue: Mansel Hotel (Hybride)
\nLocation: Yaounde-Cameroon (Only on Invitation)<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND <\/p>\n
\u00a0The Nkafu Policy Institute is a think tank at the Denis and Lenora Foretia Foundation, which works to catalyze the transformation of African countries by focusing on social entrepreneurship, science, technology, health, and the implementation of development policies that will create economic opportunities for all. Nkafu Policy Institute is a leading African think tank with a mission to provide independent, in-depth and insightful policy recommendations that allow all Africans to prosper in free, fair, democratic and sustainable economies. The Institute is engaged in promoting policies that strengthen the private sector and has created a Small Business and Entrepreneurship Center to promote business incubation.
\nThe Nkafu Policy Institute, in partnership with organizations in Ghana and Burkina Faso, is implementing a two (2) years project \u2013 funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) entitled: \u201cSocial entrepreneurship for sustainable development in SubSaharan Africa: Lessons learnt from business incubation in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ghana.\u201d
\nThe International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is a Canadian Organization with the mandate \u201cto initiate, encourage, support, and conduct research into the problems of the developing regions of the world and into the means for applying and adapting scientific, technical, and other knowledge to the economic and social advancement of those regions.\u201d To achieve this, the organization collaborates with partners by funding projects as such that foresees as an eligible activity the provision of financial support to third parties, as a means to achieve its objectives.<\/p>\n
THE RESEARCH PROJECT<\/p>\n
Business incubators provide the structural support that enables new businesses to grow and become financially independent, strengthening the private sector and propelling an economy. In the last decade, Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a proliferation of business incubators. It is hoped that they will play a key role in attaining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially with regards to gender equality and the promotion of sustained and inclusive economic growth. Yet, the effectiveness and impact of these business incubators remain largely unexplored. Likewise, their role in accelerating the economic transformation of Africa seems hard to be established. This study will be carried out in this exploratory phase in 3 sub-Saharan African countries with specific economic dynamics. The selected countries are Burkina Faso, Ghana and Cameroon.<\/p>\n
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES <\/p>\n
The overall research objective is to map the business incubation practice in selected Sub-Saharan African countries and see how these contribute to the attainment of SDGs 4, 5, 8, 9, and 13. The relationship between business incubators\u2019 success and the country\u2019s ecosystem for \u201cscience and innovation\u201d is extremely important to elucidate. Innovation and science systems can be thought to entail four major components; (i) a scientific program on innovation at the ministerial level in a country; (ii) a strategy for technology diffusion in light of research and development; (iii) a science-based industrial park for technological commercialization and (iv) engagement of experts and capacity building for entrepreneurs and innovators. This project, therefore, seeks to understand better the initial conditions of business incubators in pilot countries, the relationship with the science and innovation ecosystem in the country, and how development partners can engage for more significant and sustained impact.<\/p>\n
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES <\/p>\n
This project will investigate: \u00b7 The connection of incubation to the ecosystem for innovation and science: How conducive is the research environment in supporting innovators? How to strengthen these ecosystems in a way that is conducive to innovation and SDG? Who can do what in such ecosystems? \u00b7 The relationship between business creation and SDGs 4, 5, 8 9 et 13 what is done, what are the gaps and what should be done? \u00b7 Opportunities and challenges resulting from the national fiscal and regulatory framework to successfully scale up. \u00b7 The process of scaling up with a particular interest in the factors of success and failure and an analysis of the role of public policies: which are the most critical areas where innovation can make a difference? The success of incubation-to-scale: generalizability of best practices observed in one country to another.<\/p>\n
OBJECTIVES OF THE INCEPTION WORKSHOP<\/p>\n
\u00a0The main objective of this inception workshop is to officially present the methodological tools that will be used in the implementation of the project in Cameroon. More specifically, it will:<\/p>\n
Present the results of the literature review carried out in the framework of the project;
\nPresent the results of the pilot phase of the project (preliminary survey report) carried out in the city of Yaounde between the 17th and 23rd of March 2021 to test certain hypotheses admitted in the final survey questionnaire;
\nFinalize the survey questionnaire for data collection
\nPresent the statistical and econometric methods that will be used for the processing and analysis of the data collected in the field;
\nAdopt the themes of the scientific articles that will be written in the framework of this project<\/p>\n
PARTICIPANTS<\/p>\n
Incubators
\nSocial Entrepreneurs
\nCapital providers
\nEcosystem\u2019s enablers
\nBeneficiaries<\/p>\n
\u00a0Number of participants expected: 36<\/p>\n
EXPECTED OUTPUT <\/p>\n
Finalize the survey questionnaire for data collection
\nIdentify appropriate data collection strategies (phone calls, field visits, emails, etc.) with selected stakeholders\u2019 assistance.
\nDefine the statistical and econometric methods that will be used for the processing and analysis of the collected data,
\nDefine the themes of the scientific articles that will be written in the framework of this project.<\/p>\n
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In-Country Workshop \u00a0CameroonOf the Project on Social Entrepreneurship for Sustainable […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[],"mec_category":[680,342,685],"mec_speaker":[],"class_list":["post-11220","mec-events","type-mec-events","status-publish","hentry","mec_category-event","mec_category-events","mec_category-social-entrepreneurship"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n