In 2007, EnterpriseWorks/VITA’s portfolio generated over 21 million dollars in total monetary benefits, providing economic benefits to over 2.3 million men, women and children in some of the most disadvantaged countries of the world. Project beneficiaries and total monetary benefits are reported for EWV’s five primary program areas and are generated from detailed data collection which tracks the type of beneficiary (male versus female, owner, worker, part-time, full time, etc.) as well as the nature of the economic activity and intervention (technology, marketing, management, and other improvements). EWV’s 2007 impacts include data from 30 projects in 14 countries of Africa and Asia.

EWV takes a comprehensive approach to the monitoring and evaluation of each project. The process begins with a value chain study of the target area context, which assists in project design and formulating anticipated results. Midterm impact studies and final evaluations give feedback that can be used to improve project strategy and provide lessons learned for staff in other regions or program areas.

To complement these more typical evaluation activities, EWV created an innovative annual impact tracking tool—the Impact Tracking System (ITS). The ITS measures the results for all the projects in the portfolio using a standard set of indicators, allowing for comparison and aggregation across projects, geographic regions, and program areas. 2007 marks the 14th year EWV has been measuring impacts across its projects worldwide using its Impact Tracking System.

Results of 2007 Impact Tracking

For each dollar of project funds invested, EWV generated US$7 dollars in increased income for beneficiaries - a 700% return on the investment made by project donors. In addition to the quantified income gains, EWV projects also conserved biodiversity, reforested denuded lands, and reduced incidence of waterborne and air quality-related illnesses, all of which contribute to the improved livelihood status of EWV's beneficiaries.