Small business

PROGRAMMES AND ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE
Objective: To cover key areas of policy noted in the review. 
This includes the assessment of:
10.1. Overall policy
This might cover:
• How SME development policy is contributing to overall economic and social objectives;
• How it is meeting criteria for intervention (information gaps filled, competitive disadvantage removed,
access to resources eased, costs of compliance to regulation reduced and imbalances in industry
structure corrected);
• Assistance to regional and local development and results;
• Success in expanding the enterprise culture (results of education programmes, promotions of
enterprise, start up and development support);
• Success in engaging the private sector.
10.2 Policy management 
Comments on progress made in:
• The co-ordination of programmes between different arms of government, in particular joint ventures
and partnerships (for example between the Ministries of Employment and Industry in the promotion
of start ups);
• The management of the regulatory environment, for example improvement in business registration
and licensing procedures, changes in tax reporting procedures to improve compliance, and so on;
• The methods of engagement of the private sector in SME support, for example the establishment of
a national and regional network of small business advocacy councils;
• The cooperation between national, regional and local government, for example the setting up regional
strategy teams or the coordinated application of planning laws;
• The work of any special advocacy body or co-ordinating centre for SME policy development and
implementation, for example the equivalent of the Advocacy Office of the President of the USA (see