Overview
The purpose of this evaluation was to provide a comprehensive picture of what kind of trade and market information ITC provides, and how well the organization analyses, distributes, and uses it in furtherance of its mandate. Key objectives of the evaluation were to assess how effective the organization is in maintaining its relevance in the area of trade and market information, determine the utility and complementarity of ITC’s tools and services in this area and the satisfaction of their clients, and to provide insights into how well related information is shared and used within ITC. ITC’s Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) commissioned and managed the evaluation. The evaluation followed a mixed-methods design. Information was collected by the evaluation team using a document review, a data review, a survey of internal and external users of the market analysis tools, case studies in five African countries, and interviews with 168 people from various stakeholder groups, including government representatives; business support organizations (BSOs); micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); academia; and ITC staff.