CSIL completed an assignment pursuing the twin objectives of carrying out a thematic evaluation of the SME Initiative (SMEi) Operational Programme “Stimulating Private Sector Investment for Economic Growth” and updating the existing 2014 ex-ante assessment report for a Financial Instrument (i.e., the ‘SME Access to Finance: Market Assessment for Malta’ report) in preparation for the 2021-2027 Programming Period.
For the thematic evaluation, the methodology entailed a counterfactual impact evaluation to assess the extent to which each SME instrument produced the intended effects. Additionally, the evaluation strategy integrated qualitative methodologies to investigate which Maltese context factors or SME features explain why and how certain effects materialized. The two approaches (counterfactual and theory-based impact evaluation) complemented each other.
The thematic evaluations aimed to understand the contribution of the instruments in helping Maltese SMEs grow, survive, and expand, and to contribute to the EU 2020 objectives. This general aim was assessed against the contribution of other supporting or limiting factors, internal to the policy context (such as other ESIF programmes and instruments) or external (including global economic trends and COVID-19). The team identified new financing gaps and paved the way for recommendations concerning the need for a new financial instrument and its characteristics.