Improving mentors’ capacity in a government-led MSME empowerment program

Pairing entrepreneurs with mentors can assist firms in improving business performance by providing customized and locally relevant knowledge. In Depok, West Java, Indonesia, researchers are collaborating with the Depok City Office for Cooperatives and Microenterprises (Dinas Koperasi dan Usaha Mikro Kota Depok, DKUM) to conduct a pilot study on their mentorship program. Our initial engagement with the program implementer revealed common challenges, such as mentors' varied effectiveness when servicing MSMEs and limited knowledge on certain topics. 

This study aims to evaluate the impact of improving the delivery of a government-run mentoring program on micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) performance by training and monitoring mentors, as well as adding new content on marketing strategies. The results of the research are aimed at giving insights into the impact of increasing mentors’ capability and whether adding training content can improve MSMEs’ business performance.