Developing a framework to evaluate business networks: the case of Ireland's industry-led network initiative

Abstract

Business networks have been described as cooperative arrangements between independent business organisations that vary from contractual joint ventures to informal exchanges of information. This collaboration has become recognised as an innovative and efficient tool for organising interdependent activities, with benefits accruing to both firms and the local economy. For a number of years, resources have been devoted to supporting Irish networking policies. One recent example of such support is the Irish government's target of [euro]20 million per annum for five years to support the creation of enterprise-led networks. It is imperative that a clear rationale for such interventions is established, as the opportunity cost of public funds is high. This article, therefore, develops an evaluation framework for such networking interventions. This framework will facilitate effective programme planning, implementation and evaluation. It will potentially show how a chain of cause-and-effect at both micro and macro-levels for networking interventions can be established.

Keywords:

• business networks
• evaluation
• logic model

Acknowledgements

Nicola Lynch would gratefully like to acknowledge funding received from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS).

Notes

1. The authors acknowledge that the pilot may not demonstrate the full set of effects of the initiative, and therefore the assessment as to whether to roll-out will be based on signals from the pilot evaluation and not ‘full data.’

Notes on contributors

Nicola Lynch is an IRCHSS Scholar at the Graduate Centre of Business, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Helena Lenihan is at the Department of Economics, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Mark Hart is at the Economics and Strategy Group, Aston Business School, Aston University, UK.