HP LIFE Program Process and Outcome Evaluation Report April 2012 Prepared by Dr. Elena Vinogradova HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 2 Contents Executive Summary....................................................................................................................................... 4 Key Findings .............................................................................................................................................. 6 Implications for Future Entrepreneurship Training Programs.................................................................. 7 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Description of the Curriculum.................................................................................................................10 Evaluation Methodology.............................................................................................................................11 Analytical Framework and Evaluation Questions...................................................................................11 Evaluation Design....................................................................................................................................13 Sampling..............................................................................................................................................13 Limitations of the Methodology .........................................................................................................14 Web Survey Protocols.........................................................................................................................14 Qualitative Data Collection .................................................................................................................15 Data Analyses......................................................................................................................................15 Description of Study Participants............................................................................................................17 Geographic Location ...........................................................................................................................17 Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents............................................................................17 Participation in HP LIFE training..............................................................................................................23 Source of Income ....................................................................................................................................24 Outcome Evaluation Findings.....................................................................................................................26 Outcomes of HP LIFE Training.................................................................................................................26 Section Summary ................................................................................................................................33 Technology Use by HP LIFE Trainees.......................................................................................................35 Telecommunication Tools...................................................................................................................36 Text-Processing Software....................................................................................................................38 Spreadsheet Software.........................................................................................................................40 Presentation Software ........................................................................................................................43 Database Software..............................................................................................................................45 Importance of Software Knowledge ...................................................................................................47 Section Summary ................................................................................................................................48 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 3 Business Use of ICT Tools........................................................................................................................49 Business Development........................................................................................................................52 Section Summary ................................................................................................................................52 Use of ICT Tools by the Unemployed......................................................................................................53 Section Summary ................................................................................................................................58 Process Evaluation Findings........................................................................................................................59 Relevance of the LIFE Curriculum ...........................................................................................................59 Delivery of the LIFE Curriculum...............................................................................................................64 Different Modes of Curriculum Delivery.............................................................................................65 HP LIFE Online.....................................................................................................................................67 Section Summary ................................................................................................................................71 Implications for Future Youth Entrepreneurship Programs.......................................................................72 Appendix: Data Collection Protocols HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 4 Acknowledgements EQUIP3 wishes to thank Dr. Elena Vinogradova for leading the research and analysis on this report, and to Nancy Taggart and Ann Hershkowitz who managed the study. Thanks also go to the following EDC staff and consultants, who assisted with data collection in the following countries: • China – Elisa Lin • India – Dr. Philip Viegas • Kenya – Caroline Riungu • Nigeria – Thomas Harry The staff at the following HP LIFE training centers made the study possible by providing access to past and current training participants, and in some cases by also being part of the qualitative interviews: • China – CAEP Hami, YBC Qinghai, YBC Fujian • India – Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka (AWAKE), Society for Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA) • Kenya – TEARS Group Kenya • Nigeria – Centre for Small Industry Research and Training (CENSIRT) • South Africa – School Leavers Opportunity Training (SLOT) Thanks also go to Daniela Opp, Lelde Spuldzeniece, and Ann Ewasechko at Hewlett Packard, who facilitated access to the HP LIFE training centers and offered valuable feedback on the draft report. Clare Ignatowski at USAID also provided comments on the draft report. Finally, we are grateful to Angela Chen, Yupaporn Boontid, and Anne Shure of EDC, who provided input into the research plan, survey and interview questions, and drafts of the report. Erik Butler Director, EQUIP3 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 5 Executive Summary This report presents findings of the evaluation study of the Hewlett-Packard Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) program, which delivers an integrated ICT (information and communication technology) and entrepreneurship curriculum to young people around the world, in partnership with local training centers. The evaluation study was conducted by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), under the EQUIP3 Leader Award funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as part of EDC’s cost-share requirement. The HP LIFE program is designed to assist micro-entrepreneurs in low-income communities in expanding the potential of their businesses through provision of training on both ICT skills and business skills. Currently the program partners with 340 training centers in 49 countries across the globe. The training centers range from university-based agencies to rural community development centers to urban training institutions. Since its inception in 2007, the program has reached approximately 1.2 million people with face-to-face training, access to IT and online activities. Due to the short time frame of the evaluation, it was not possible to conduct a full study of the program’s effectiveness in improving participant outcomes. Instead, the evaluation focused on testing two underlying assumptions regarding the ICT tools on which the LIFE curriculum1 is based: • Assumption 1: Increased application of ICT tools or software leads to improved employment and entrepreneurship outcomes among disadvantaged youth in developing countries. • Assumption 2: Technology-based tools, such as online training content and/or games, increase the program’s effectiveness. To test these assumptions, EDC conducted process and outcome evaluations of the HP LIFE program. The outcome evaluation tested the first assumption and sought to answer the following questions: 1. To what extent do graduates of the HP LIFE program experience increased income and other benefits as a result of the training? 2. To what extent do graduates of the HP LIFE program use the ICT tools in their business, employment, or search for employment? 3. To what extent did the ICT tools prove to be relevant to the businesses the youth created or the employment they found? The study’s process evaluation tested the second assumption, guided by the following questions: 1. How relevant do youth trainees find the LIFE curriculum and online tools to their needs for starting or strengthening a micro-business or finding employment? 1 The LIFE Curriculum was developed by Micro-Enterprise Acceleration Institute (MEA-I) in partnership with Hewlett-Packard. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 6 2. How effective is the use of technology in transferring skills and information to the youth trainees? The study used a retrospective baseline evaluation design, augmented with qualitative methods. The use of this design was also necessary because of the short timeline of the evaluation study, which precludes the use of multiple measurements of the same sample or the recruitment of a comparison group. To make the findings more robust, the study triangulated data from multiple sources, including an online participant survey, interviews with certified HP LIFE trainers, focus groups of current participants, and interviews with past HP LIFE trainees. The study was conducted in China, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in the winter and spring of 2012. A total of 506 completed online surveys were collected; in addition, 3 focus groups of current participants, 8 interviews with trainers, and 18 interviews with past participants were conducted and used in the data analysis for this report. Key Findings • The HP LIFE program was found to improve participant outcomes through improved ICT skills. The evaluation study found the HP LIFE program to be effective in improving participant outcomes in terms of income, employability, and the efficiency of business operations. The vast majority of both male and female business owners as well as employed HP LIFE trainees reported small to moderate increases in income as a result of their participation in the training, with some trainees reporting income increase of over 20% as a result of the training. Statistical analyses found strong relationships between reported income increases and improved ICT proficiency, controlling for prior knowledge of software and ICT tools. Entrepreneurs also reported decreased workload, improved accuracy of record-keeping, improved efficiency of business operations, and other benefits associated with increased use of technology as a result of the training. • The HP LIFE participants gained more than ICT skills from the training. Bivariate correlation analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between HP LIFE training participants’ reported increase in income and the key benefits they reported receiving from the training, including mentoring, interaction with other trainees, encouragement from trainers, and improvements in their own communication skills. In fact, according to both quantitative and qualitative data, communication skills were not only among the key skills taught by the curriculum, they were also the one area in which the majority of HP LIFE participants said they needed more training. • Basic ICT skills were most helpful to employed youth and business owners; more advanced ICT skills were not considered essential to their job or business. Evidence gathered by the study suggests that most HP LIFE trainees who are business owners or employed use telecommunication tools and computer software daily in their job or business. Most frequently used are telecommunication tools (such as e-mail and the Internet) and text-processing software (such as MS Word), followed by spreadsheet software and presentation software. Only a small proportion of entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees said that they use databases regularly, and a very small percentage reported using more than the basic functions of ICT tools; about half the respondents said they only use simple functions, such as creating documents, entering text or numeric data, doing basic formatting, and printing. The majority of HP LIFE trainees consider ICT HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 7 skills to be important for their job or business, although fewer than one in five think such skills are critically important for them. • Face-to-face instruction with computer-based support was found to be the most beneficial mode of instruction. Qualitative data from interviews with trainers and program participants confirm that the curriculum content is engaging, informative, and easily adaptable to local contexts. These data supported the survey findings that face-to-face instruction was an effective mode of instruction for all respondents, followed by practical exercises using computers. Additionally, the evaluation study found that the supplemental online program components (e.g. tips, games) as they were available during the time of the evaluation were not as effective in certain contexts. Such reasons as poor infrastructure (both in terms of electricity and Internet service) and the unavailability of computers were cited by survey respondents and interviewees alike. The importance of non-ICT benefits of the training, such as improved self-confidence and communication skills, suggests another reason why the face-to-face mode of delivery was reported as effective by both trainers and trainees. • Mentoring and encouragement were cited as important factors for female trainees in particular. While both men and women said that they benefited from the encouragement, mentoring, and interactive aspects of the training, these were found to be especially important for women. Of the women who took the HP LIFE training, 70 percent said that encouragement was an important benefit of the training for them. Moreover, there was a strong correlation between reported increased income among female trainees and the benefit of mentoring experienced during the HP LIFE training. Implications for Future Entrepreneurship Training Programs The report’s findings, which confirm existing knowledge as well as reveal new information about effective youth entrepreneurship programs, have useful implications for the design and implementation of future entrepreneurship programs: • The importance of ICT skills for aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as young people seeking employment, should be recognized and incorporated in entrepreneurship programming in a way that is appropriate for each local context. The evaluation findings emphasize the particular importance of telecommunication tools, text-processing software and spreadsheets software as these were most frequently used by trainees and reported as the most useful to them. • The evaluation findings highlight the importance of life skills, such as communication skills, for both potential entrepreneurs and job seekers. This confirms program experiences that have also found life skills training to be a valuable complement of both vocational and entrepreneurship training. In fact, offering entrepreneurship training along with life skills training is now a common practice within many youth programs, a finding that serves as further support for this program investment. In addition, as the report findings highlight, trainees most valued communication and basic management skills among the life skills needed for their work or business. As life skills curricula are adapted for entrepreneurship training, emphasis should be given to these training modules. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 8 • The report’s finding about the importance of mentoring for women builds on research that shows the value of mentoring to increased self-efficacy for both men and women, and adds credibility to anecdotal evidence about the importance of coaching and mentoring in youth programs.2 This finding suggests not only the need to ensure that there is a mentoring component in entrepreneurship training, but also that female entrepreneurs often need specific support and encouragement, as well as role models. Trainers, community mentors, and program alumna can serve as positive role models for young women and assist them in navigating the different challenges involved in self-employment. • While the report’s findings support the assumption that training is valuable for entrepreneurs and job seekers, the findings also confirm the importance of other non-training elements to entrepreneurs, such as information on obtaining financing and follow-up support. Youth programs are more likely to be effective in helping young people enter the workforce if they offer a package of services that includes but is not limited to training.3 • While the online content in the current HP LIFE program is merely supplemental, the evaluation findings emphasize the benefits of the face-to-face mode of delivery over the online mode, particularly in environments where poor telecommunications infrastructure prevents full access to online resources. As programs seek opportunities to replicate effective training methods using online platforms, they should explore ways to offer non-training benefits of the program, such as mentorship, encouragement, and the exchange of ideas among participants in an online￾mediated training environment or through supplemental face-to-face exchanges. 2 Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York, NY: General Learning Press. 3 Education Development Center, Inc. (2012). EQUIP3 lessons learned: Experiences in livelihoods, literacy and leadership in 26 countries. Washington, DC: EQUIP3/United States Agency for International Development. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 9 Introduction This report presents findings of the evaluation study of the Hewlett-Packard Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (HP LIFE) program that was conducted by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) under the cost-share agreement with USAID, EQUIP3 Leader Award. The study was conducted in China, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in the winter and spring of 2012. The study aimed to answer three main evaluation questions: • To what extent do young entrepreneurs in study countries use ICT tools to start and operate their businesses? • To what extent does participation in the training result in increased income for young entrepreneurs? • To what extent do currently available technology-based tools, such as online training content and/or games, increased the program’s effectiveness? Background The HP LIFE program is designed to assist micro-entrepreneurs in low-income communities in expanding the potential of their businesses through provision of training on both information and communication technology (ICT) skills and business skills. Initially launched in 2007 as separate regional programs in the Asia and Europe/Middle East/Africa regions, in January 2010 the programs merged as one global program known as HP LIFE, managed by HP’s Office of Sustainability and Social Innovation. The program aims to reach students who are thinking of starting a business, as well as small-business entrepreneurs wanting to expand their business, through partnerships with training centers around the world. Currently the program partners with 340 centers in 49 countries across the globe. These centers range from university-based agencies to rural community development centers to urban training institutions. Since its inception in 2007, HP LIFE reached approximately 1.2 million people with face-to-face training, access to IT and online activities.4 Partnership begins through an invitation-only competitive RFP process. Awards to training institutions include cash and technology grants, curricula and training, and access to other types of training and social networking tools and materials. The HP LIFE program had the following main objectives5 in 2011: • Enable students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and small-business owners around the world to use ICT and business skills to create opportunities to transform their own lives and the lives of others in their community. 4 HP LIFE Global Annual Report, January to December 2011, p. 3. 5 Orientation Package for 2011 Grant Awards: HP LIFE Program Document, 2011. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 10 • Create a unique training program for millions of students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and business owners that enables them to harness the power of ICT to establish and grow successful businesses. • Expand the program into new markets, and invest in new online and offline training tools to increase the program’s effectiveness. Specifically, the program seeks by the end of 2012 to reach at least 1 million students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and small-business owners around the world. Of those trained, at least 65 percent will be able to apply ICT and business skills to access job opportunities, create new businesses, and/or enjoy growth and efficiency in their existing businesses, thereby contributing to the development of their communities. EDC’s Health and Human Development (HHD) Division is a key implementation partner of HP LIFE. Under its grant and marketing contributions from HP, EDC’s HHD Division serves as the “Center of Excellence” for HP LIFE in the Asia Pacific and North America regions, deploying HP LIFE training centers in these regions. In addition, EDC is responsible for developing the global monitoring and evaluation framework and system and coordinating global reporting, in collaboration with HP and its other implementing partners that include MEA-I, UNIDO and ORT. Description of the Curriculum6 The LIFE curriculum teaching methodology was designed for business-oriented adult learners. There are two key pedagogical concepts that underpin this methodology: the Experiential Learning Cycle and the Business-Technology-Business framework. Every topic in the LIFE curriculum begins with a common business challenge faced by a typical micro-entrepreneur, anywhere in the world. Through their work on this case study, students identify and discuss a particular business challenge and acquire new theoretical information. The trainer then introduces a technological solution to the challenge. The class is shown some of the benefits of the technological solution and taught how to use it through a practical, hands-on exercise, which allows them to process their new information. Finally, the trainer guides the class back to the domain of business and encourages students to reflect on what they learned and to discuss how to apply their newly acquired knowledge and use this technological tool in the real business world.7 The scripted HP LIFE training consists of four thematic areas (Marketing, Operations, Communication, and Finance) and five levels corresponding to the stages of business development (Imagine, Plan, Start, Grow, and Innovate).8 The first level is designed for young people who do not have their own business but are contemplating it; the second and third levels are for those who have a business idea and are in a planning stage; the fourth level is for business owners who want to expand their business; and the fifth level helps entrepreneurs take their business to a new level. The diagram below shows the key concepts of the four thematic areas covered by the five levels of training. 6 LIFE curriculum was developed by MEA-I. 7 HP LIFE Curriculum: Trainer Handbook, version 6.00, pp. 14–15. 8 HP LIFE Curriculum: Trainer Handbook, version 6.00, p. 13. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 11 As part of the grants from HP, local training centers receive a technology grant, a cash grant and a professional training of trainer course. After the Training of Trainer course the trainers are certified LIFE trainers. These trainers/training centers deliver the curriculum to entrepreneurs that have the flexibility to customize delivery by integrating specific modules of the LIFE curriculum into other training programs, or to deliver the curriculum in its entirety. The curriculum does not have an entrance exam, and it is up to training centers to determine the selection criteria for their participants, although a secondary school completion is recommended as a general guideline for program entry. Evaluation Methodology Analytical Framework and Evaluation Questions Through more systemic data collection and research, the HP LIFE Program has the potential to offer insight into the relevance and appropriateness of ICT tools, Web-based mentoring, and networking for emerging youth entrepreneurs in developing countries. The evaluation of the HP LIFE entrepreneurship program is of value and relevance not only to the USAID-funded EQUIP3 program; it will also lead to better understanding of the appropriateness and effectiveness of ICT-focused entrepreneurship training HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 12 for youth entrepreneurs in developing countries and thus will contribute to improving future USAID￾funded programming for youth. These findings are also expected to contribute to the existing body of research on the use of technology in international entrepreneurship and workforce development programs and to the larger youth livelihoods field. The literature review conducted by EDC showed that the research base to demonstrate the true value of technology as a tool to better prepare entrepreneurs for business start-up and success is minimal. A trend in entrepreneurship training is toward encouraging workplace simulations, role playing, and hands-on creation of actual business plans. However, the use of technology as a platform for transmitting content, or as a tool for transmitting realistic simulations or real-life applications, does not appear to be widely practiced. Within the literature reviewed on international entrepreneurship programs, ICT is discussed primarily as a helpful tool, rather than a necessary skill area for micro￾enterprise start-up and business management. Due to the short time frame of the evaluation, it was not possible to conduct a full study of the program’s effectiveness in improving participant outcomes. Instead, the evaluation focused on testing two underlying assumptions regarding the ICT tools on which the LIFE curriculum is based: • Assumption 1: Increased application of ICT tools or software leads to improved employment and entrepreneurship outcomes among disadvantaged youth in developing countries. • Assumption 2: Technology-based tools, such as online training content and/or games, increase the program’s effectiveness. To test these assumptions, EDC conducted process and outcome evaluations of the HP LIFE program. The outcome evaluation tested the first assumption and sought to answer the following questions: • To what extent do graduates of the HP LIFE program experience increased income and other benefits as a result of the training? • To what extent do graduates of the HP LIFE program use the ICT tools in their business, employment, or search for employment? • To what extent did the ICT tools prove to be relevant to the businesses the youth created or the employment they found? The study’s process evaluation tested the second assumption, guided by the following questions: • How relevant do youth trainees find the LIFE curriculum and online tools to their needs for starting or strengthening a micro-business or finding employment? • How relevant are the HP LIFE tools for starting a successful micro-business in a developing country? • How effective is the use of technology in transferring skills and information to the youth trainees? HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 13 Eight countries were selected to participate in the study: Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in Africa; China and India in Asia; Egypt and Tunisia in the Middle East; and Brazil in Latin America. Due to upheavals in the Middle East following the Arab Spring of 2011, the training center in Egypt was no longer active at the time of the study, so it was not possible to collect data, and there were insufficient numbers of trainees to work with in Tunisia. Finally, Brazil also had to be dropped from the study due to the small number of HP LIFE participants in the appropriate age cohort (i.e., youth; instead, the majority of participants were in their late 40s and 50s) and weak support from the Brazil training center. Evaluation Design For the outcome evaluation, we used a retrospective baseline evaluation design, augmented with qualitative methods. The major weaknesses of this design are that it relies on participants’ recollections after considerable time has passed, and its lack of ability to ascertain causal relationships between the program and the studied outcomes.9 However, since the evaluation questions were developed to test curriculum assumptions rather than specific programmatic features, this design is appropriate. The use of this design was also necessitated by the short timeline of the evaluation study, which precluded the use of multiple measurements of the same sample. To make the findings more robust, the study triangulated data from multiple sources, including the online participant survey, interviews with certified HP LIFE trainers, focus groups of current participants, and interviews with past HP LIFE trainees. Sampling Two separate samples participated in the evaluation: past program participants who completed the program no longer than 18 months prior to the evaluation, and current program participants. We attempted to draw both samples from the same training centers in the selected countries, whenever possible. It took respondents 10 to 20 minutes, on average, to complete the Web-based survey. A small number of participants were selected to be interviewed or to participate in a focus group, with an additional burden of up to two hours. Selecting a sample of trainees that would be fully representative of all HP LIFE trainees in each country would be prohibitively expensive. Instead, we proposed selecting a convenience sample of one or two training centers in each country that met the following criteria: • The center had data on current and/or past participants, including contact information and demographic data. • The center had the capacity and the willingness to participate in this study and to facilitate data collection. • The center’s trainees were representative of the national population of HP LIFE trainees. Ideally, study participants would share major demographic characteristics with participants from other training centers in that country, in order to help EDC better generalize the findings. If the 9 This is due to multiple threats to internal validity. Changes between pretest and posttest might be attributable to, for example, history, maturation, testing, mortality, and/or regression. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 14 selected center’s trainees are substantially different demographically, the evaluation findings may still be applicable to the population that the selected center serves, but their external validity will be affected. • There should be at least 200 youth in both the 2010 cohort and the current cohort, with a total of 400 participants from each country. If some countries had no center that serves that many youth, then we might combine two or three centers or consider a smaller sample. The sampling approach is based on the expected ability of the evaluation study to disaggregate the findings by gender and other demographic variables deemed to be important in influencing participants’ opinions and experiences. Limitations of the Methodology Since it is not possible to randomize beneficiaries into participants and non-participants to assess the true impact of the program, or to conduct multiple measurements of the same group of participants because of the short time frame of the study, the attribution of the observed outcomes to the effects of the program are limited due to the non-experimental nature of the study. Because of this limitation, the evaluation questions are formulated to test the program’s assumptions about the role of technology in youth’s entrepreneurship and employment life. All outcome questions are based on respondents’ perceptions and recollections and cannot be objectively verified. Additionally, the research team encountered significant difficulties with the data collection. Two countries had to be dropped from the study: In Egypt, all past participant records had been lost due to the current political unrest, and in Tunisia, the planned activities were scaled down due to the volatile political situation. Additionally, training centers in Brazil failed to provide participant information to enable the survey administration, and we were only able to collect qualitative information in that country. The total number of completed surveys was substantially smaller than originally proposed: Instead of 400 per country, the actual number of completed surveys ranged from 60 to 200. After eliminating duplicates and surveys where respondents did not progress past the first three questions, the final number of analyzed surveys was only 506 for five countries (China, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa). Such a sample size does not allow for the disaggregation desirable for the evaluation questions. Web Survey Protocols A Web survey with four separate modules was used to collect quantitative data: three for the past participants of HP LIFE trainings (a module for entrepreneurs, a module for the employed, and a module for the unemployed), and one for the current participants of the HP LIFE training. The survey was designed to collect quantitative information regarding participants’ opinions about the program and their experiences with technology use. The protocols consisted mostly of multiple-choice questions, with open-ended “other” response options. The process and outcome evaluation questions were operationalized into survey items, then translated where needed and pilot-tested in each selected country. The complete Web survey with four modules HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 15 was translated into the following languages: Portuguese, Kannada, Arabic, French, and Chinese (Mandarin). Each translated protocol was then back-translated into English to validate the original translation. The pilot-testing consisted of cognitive interviewing of 10 to 15 individuals with demographic characteristics similar to the targeted sample. Cognitive interviews were one-on-one qualitative interviews, where participants go over each question, describing in detail how they understand the question. The goal was to test the validity of translation of each item. The results were then checked against the intended meaning of the question. A written summary was prepared for each country where testing was conducted. The results are analyzed cross-interview, by question. Upon completion of the pilot testing, the final version of the translation and back-translation was reviewed by the evaluation team and then programmed into the Web survey software. The premium version of the Survey Monkey Internet survey provider was used to implement the survey. The survey was implemented in English in Nigeria and South Africa. In Kenya, the survey was implemented in English with support from a Swahili-speaking interviewer who conducted the survey by phone. After dropping Brazil and the Middle Eastern countries from the study, only translations into Kannada and Mandarin for surveys in India and China were used to collect data. The survey was conducted in February and March of 2012. Current HP LIFE participants were notified about the survey by the trainers and took the survey in the training center. Past HP LIFE participants were notified about the survey by e-mail and/or instant message to their cell phone. In Kenya, where most past participants did not have access to computers or the Internet, the survey was conducted over the phone by a trained interviewer. Qualitative Data Collection Targeted in-depth interviews were conducted with select past participants, and focus groups were conducted with current HP LIFE trainees. In addition, a small sample of trainers were interviewed to obtain their perspectives on the program’s ability to meet the needs of youth. All qualitative data were collected in-country by consultants. The purpose of the qualitative data collection was two-fold: to better understand and contextualize findings from the Web survey of past and current participants, and to gather additional information about other benefits of the training that were not covered by the surveys, including success stories of past participants. With permission of the participants, all interviews and focus groups were recorded and transcribed, and, if needed, translated into English. These transcriptions were used for the data analysis. Data Analyses Data analysis for this study consisted of two components: analysis of quantitative data collected through the Web surveys of participants, and analysis of qualitative data obtained from focus groups and interviews. The survey data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, which employs standard statistical methods. Quantitative analyses used univariate and bivariate statistics as needed for different analytical purposes. Central tendency analysis (e.g., mean, median) was conducted HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 16 for continuous demographic variables. Bivariate statistical analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between different variables. Statistical weighting was performed on a comparative data to compensate for differences in sub-sample sizes. Qualitative data obtained from the in-depth interviews and focus groups with past and present participants were analyzed using qualitative data analysis procedures. In the first stage of analysis, we looked to identify the central themes within each interview and focus group. At the next level of analysis, we considered trends and patterns that reappeared across each data set. The third level of analysis involved a meta-analysis of the data across qualitative data sets. At this level, we drew general conclusions with regard to evaluation questions. Throughout these three levels of analysis, we relied on various known techniques, such as coding of the segments of transcripts, and content analysis. Content analysis was performed on the responses to each open-ended question. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 17 Description of Study Participants Geographic Location The Web-based surveys were administered to HP LIFE trainees in five countries: China and India in Asia, and Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa in Africa. The distribution of respondents by continent was almost even: Trainees from China and Nigeria responded to the survey in the greatest numbers: Demographic Characteristics of Survey Respondents Slightly more males than females responded to the survey: 45.3% 54.7% Continent (n=506) Asia Africa 30.8% 14.4% 10.5% 30.8% 13.4% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% China India Kenya Nigeria South Africa Countries (n=506) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 18 In all countries, the majority of the respondents are male; the most significant difference between the number of male and female respondents was in China, where nearly three-quarters of the respondents are male: Gender of Respondents Total Male Female China Count 114 42 156 % 73.1% 26.9% 100.0% India Count 42 31 73 % 57.5% 42.5% 100.0% Kenya Count 28 25 53 % 52.8% 47.2% 100.0% Nigeria Count 83 73 156 % 53.2% 46.8% 100.0% South Africa Count 40 28 68 % 58.8% 41.2% 100.0% Total count 307 199 506 The age of the participants ranged from 15 to 71. The median age was 25, for both males and females and for the total sample: 60.7% 39.3% Gender (n=506) Male Female HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 19 The “oldest” respondents came from Nigeria, where the median age was 30, and the youngest participants were from South Africa, where the median age was 20. The median age for respondents from China and Kenya was 23, and for India it was 25. The table below shows the distribution of age groups across participating countries: Age Groups Total Less than 16 16 through 20 21 through 24 25 through 30 31 and older China Count 0 12 91 31 15 149 % 0.0% 8.1% 61.1% 20.8% 10.1% 100.0% India Count 2 13 18 18 19 70 % 2.9% 18.6% 25.7% 25.7% 27.1% 100.0% Kenya Count 0 14 17 12 8 51 % 0.0% 27.5% 33.3% 23.5% 15.7% 100.0% Nigeria Count 0 5 18 61 68 152 % 0.0% 3.3% 11.8% 40.1% 44.7% 100.0% South Africa Count 1 33 13 13 4 64 % 1.6% 51.6% 20.3% 20.3% 6.3% 100.0% Total count 3 77 157 135 114 486 As the cross-tabulations below show, only in South Africa did the majority of respondents not have at least some college education. The vast majority (nearly three-quarters) had either attended or completed college.10 Nearly all respondents from China are either college graduates or are currently 10 It is likely that the sample is skewed toward higher-educated HP LIFE training participants since the survey was conducted via the Internet (except in Kenya, where most surveys were completed by means of a phone interview 0.6% 15.8% 32.3% 27.8% 23.5% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% Under 16 16 through 20 21 through 24 25 through 30 31 and older Age of survey respondents (n=486) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 20 enrolled in a college or university. Three-quarters of the respondents from Nigeria and India also had at least some college education. The two countries with the lowest educational attainment by respondents (as well as the smallest number of respondents) were Kenya and South Africa. In Kenya, nearly all surveys were completed by phone, thus allowing past trainees who do not have regular access to a computer to complete the survey. In South Africa, nearly all respondents were current participants of the HP LIFE program in the same training center. Education Level of Respondents Total Completed primary school Some secondary school Completed secondary school Vocational training Some college Completed college China Count 0 0 6 6 71 73 156 % 0.0% 0.0% 3.8% 3.8% 45.5% 46.8% 100.0% India Count 0 0 5 12 8 48 73 % 0.0% 0.0% 6.8% 16.4% 11.0% 65.8% 100.0% Kenya Count 2 6 8 4 16 16 52 % 3.8% 11.5% 15.4% 7.7% 30.8% 30.8% 100.0% Nigeria Count 0 1 34 1 25 94 155 % 0.0% 0.6% 21.9% 0.6% 16.1% 60.6% 100.0% South Africa Count 2 19 37 5 2 3 68 % 2.9% 27.9% 54.4% 7.4% 2.9% 4.4% 100.0% Total count 4 26 90 28 122 234 504 conducted by a trained interviewer), and it can be expected that higher-educated respondents are more likely to have access to a computer and/or the Internet, either at home or at work. 0.8% 5.2% 17.9% 5.6% 24.2% 46.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Completed primary school Some secondary school Completed secondary school Vocational training Some college Completed college Education Level of Respondents (n=504) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 21 The education level of female HP LIFE trainees was somewhat lower than that of male HP LIFE trainees, as the following chart demonstrates: In addition to the survey respondents, HP LIFE trainees and trainers from four countries participated in the qualitative data collection. The table below shows the number of people interviewed in each country: HP LIFE Trainers Current HP LIFE Trainees (focus group) Past HP LIFE Trainees China 2 trainers, 1 male and 1 female 9 participants, 2 males and 7 females, ages 19–25 2 males, both 26 India 1 female trainer None 4 past participants, 2 males and 2 females, ages 21–35 Kenya 3 trainers, all male 9 participants, 5 males and 4 females, ages 19–27 5 past participants, 3 males and 2 females, ages 22–30 Nigeria 2 trainers, both male 5 participants, 4 males and 1 female 7 past participants, 5 males and 2 females, ages 23–36 South Africa11 None None None 11 Qualitative data were not collected in South Africa due to budgetary constraints. 0.3% 3.3% 18.3% 4.9% 26.1% 47.1% 1.5% 8.1% 17.2% 6.6% 21.2% 45.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Completed primary school Some secondary school Completed secondary school Vocational training Some college Completed college Education Level of Respondents, by Gender (n=378) women (n=198) men (306) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 22 The mission of TEARS Group Kenya is to empower young people through art. Since 2002, TEARS (Theatre for Enhancement and Acceleration of Researched Solutions) has provided community-relevant programming to underserved populations in Rift Valley. Young people come to TEARS to do music, art, fashion, and design. Since the beginning of their partnership with HP, TEARS trainers also help young people learn ICT and entrepreneurship skills. According to one trainer: Most of our [students] are just in transition because they don’t know what to do in life so they have to define and emphasize on themselves, come with a vision for themselves, and then from there they will be able to say, “Wow! I have this talent, I have this hobby,” and it can make them focus on a career. It also helps them to redefine themselves of what they want to do. We also have a particular group called the informal group. This is a group of the street traders, and these people are already on the start, and yet if you ask them if they have a business plan they will tell you no. TEARS trainers integrate HP’s skill-based curriculum with life skills training to help young people flourish as independent entrepreneurs—or, as one trainer says, “You want to deal with the person before you start dealing with the business.” Quotations are from a qualitative interview with a TEARS HP LIFE trainer, March 28, 2012 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 23 Participation in HP LIFE training The sample was split nearly evenly between past and current participants in the HP LIFE training. Just under a quarter of respondents said they own a business, nearly half are employed elsewhere, and the rest did not have a source of income at the time of the survey. 50.8% 49.2% Are You Currently Participating in HP LIFE Training? (n=506) Yes No 59.4% 65.7% 66.0% 72.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Finance Communication Marketing Operations & Management Modules of HP LIFE Curriculum Taken (n=506) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 24 Source of Income Just under a quarter of all surveyed HP LIFE trainees (23.3 percent) said that their own business is their main source of income. Just under half of all respondents (44.4 percent) said that they are employed elsewhere, and the remaining 32.3 percent are either unemployed or enrolled students. The distribution of income source between men and women is uneven, with men owning their own businesses at twice the rate of women. The survey data showed more women than men being employed, and more women than men being unemployed. 23.3% 44.4% 32.3% Main Source of Income (n=502) my own business employed elsewhere none 29.5% 40.7% 29.8% 13.7% 50.3% 36.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% entrepreneur employed unemployed Main Source of Income, by Gender Men (n=305) Women (n=197) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 25 Among the business owners, the median reported that they had been in business for two years. Of the surveyed entrepreneurs who employ staff, 79.5 percent said they have an average of four full-time employees; in addition, 62.4 percent have an average of two part-time employees. As the table below shows, the distribution of the employed and the entrepreneurs across the four business areas was uneven, with nearly all the employed working in the area of services, and less than half the entrepreneurs having a business in services. The second most frequently mentioned area of business was farming (28.6 percent), followed by trade (14.3 percent) and manufacturing (8.6 percent). Entrepreneur Employed Total Services Count 51 123 174 % 48.6% 91.8% 72.8% Manufacturing Count 9 2 11 % 8.6% 1.5% 4.6% Farming Count 30 3 33 % 28.6% 2.2% 13.8% Trade Count 15 6 21 % 14.3% 4.5% 8.8% Total count 105 134 239 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 26 Outcome Evaluation Findings Outcomes of HP LIFE Training The central question of the outcome evaluation is: To what extent do graduates of the HP LIFE program experience increased income and other benefits as a result of the training?12 The evaluation study asked the respondents who completed HP LIFE training13 (or its predecessors, STSB/MAP or GET-IT) to assess to what extent the training resulted in improved income or non-monetary benefits, such as improved ICT skills. The vast majority of the surveyed past HP LIFE trainees reported that their income increased as a direct result of the training. The increase was particularly significant for entrepreneurs: Nearly one in five said that their income rose by more than 20 percent as a result of the training. Only 12.5 percent of entrepreneurs said that they did not experience an increase in income. The increase in income was less dramatic for the employed past participants of HP LIFE training. A quarter of the employed said that their income did not change, and the remaining experienced only modest gains in income, particularly as compared with the entrepreneurs. Only 13.5 percent of the employed reported an increase in income of more than 10 percent as a result of the training, whereas 30.3 percent of entrepreneurs reported this level of increase. 12 For further discussion of limitations on the attribution of observed outcomes to the effects of the program, see Limitations of the Methodology section. 13 Most of the surveyed past participants completed HP LIFE training within a year of the evaluation. 3.6% 8.9% 32.1% 19.6% 10.7% 19.6% 5.4% 2.2% 25.0% 27.9% 25.0% 3.7% 9.6% 6.6% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% decreased did not change increased 1-5% increased 6- 10% increased 11- 20% increased more than 20% not sure Increase in Income as a Result of HP LIFE Training Entrepreneurs (n=56) Employed (n=136) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 27 Did the training affect both men and women equally, or did men and women experience different benefits? Having adjusted for the difference in the sub-sample size for men and women among the surveyed entrepreneurs and the employed, the analysis showed that almost twice as large a proportion of men as women experienced an increase in income of more than 10 percent. On the other hand, twice as large a proportion of men as women said that their income had not changed as a result of the training. On average, the adjusted mean of income increase showed no statistical difference in income change between men and women. In addition to increased income, many past participants of HP LIFE training reported other benefits. Three-quarters of the surveyed entrepreneurs said that they increased their use of computer software and telecommunication tools as a direct result of the training. When that group was asked what effect this increased use of ICT had on their businesses, a majority reported decreased workload, improved accuracy of record-keeping, greater efficiency of business operations, and improved access to markets and business opportunities. While these benefits may be difficult to quantify and monetize, they are nonetheless tangible and important for the business owners. 0.8% 29.1% 26.4% 20.9% 7.9% 15.0% 4.7% 16.3% 35.6% 30.5% 3.0% 9.9% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% decreased did not change increased 1-5% increased 6-10% increased 11-20% increased more than 20% Increase in Income as a Result of HP LIFE Training, by Gender Men (105) Women (87) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 28 Gender-level analysis showed that substantially higher proportion of male entrepreneurs than female entrepreneurs (79.1 percent versus 61.5 percent) reported an increase in their use of computer software and telecommunication tools as a result of training. However, the number of female entrepreneurs in the sample was not sufficient to analyze these differences. Was the reported income increase related in any way to respondents’ perceptions of their improved ICT skills? Bivariate correlation analysis found that the interaction term14 of prior knowledge and the reported increase in proficiency in software and telecommunication tools is linked to the reported income increase for both entrepreneurs and the employed past participants of HP LIFE training: Correlation with income increase for entrepreneurs Correlation with income increase for the employed Text-processing software p = .361** p = .374*** Spreadsheet software p = .696*** p = .217** Presentation software p = .507*** p = .223** Telecommunication tools p = .374** p = .227** ** Significant at a .01 level, one-tail test *** Significant at a .001 level, one-tail test 14 An interaction term is the product of the two independent variables. It is used in situations where the simultaneous influence of two variables on a third is not additive. In the case of software knowledge acquisition, it is reasonable to suggest that the amount learned is not independent of previous knowledge of the software. Moreover, the relationship between acquired knowledge and impact increase is not likely to be linear but rather curvilinear, with a higher impact of the initial knowledge acquisition, a lower impact in the midrange, and a higher cumulative impact when proficiency reaches its optimal state. 14.3% 14.3% 14.3% 14.3% 14.3% 10.7% 10.7% 10.7% 10.7% 10.7% 24.6% 39.3% 47.5% 49.2% 49.2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% expanded funding options improved access to markets greater efficiency of operations improved accuracy of record keeping decreased workload Business Improvements as a Result of HP LIFE Training (n=56) did not experience increase in use of teachnology not sure experienced increase in use of technology HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 29 A linear regression model showed that the interaction term of prior knowledge of spreadsheet software and the reported increase in knowledge of spreadsheet software is highly predictive of the reported income increase: it explains 47.4 percent of the variance in the reported increased income variable.15 Regression Coefficients for the Predictive Model for Increased Income Among Entrepreneurs Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Beta t Sig. B Std. Error (Constant) 2.400 .257 9.338 .000 Interaction term of prior knowledge of spreadsheets and increased proficiency .104 .016 .696 6.652 .000 Adding text-processing software, presentation software, and telecommunications tools to the model did not increase its explanatory power for the income increase, confirming that the entrepreneurs in this sample benefited from learning and using spreadsheet software more than other types of software and ICT tools. Due to the small sample size of entrepreneurs who were past training participants, it was not possible to conduct separate analyses for different countries, different industries, and demographic characteristics of the entrepreneurs. Similar regression analysis conducted for the employed respondents found that the only statistically significant predictor of the reported income increase was the interaction of the term of prior knowledge of text-processing software and the increase in proficiency with text-processing software, explaining 13.3 percent of the variance in the increased income dependent variable,16 with the following regression coefficients. Regression Coefficients for the Predictive Model for Increased Income Among the Employed Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients Beta t Sig. B Std. Error (Constant) 2.238 .278 8.062 .000 Interaction term of prior knowledge of text-processing software and increase in proficiency .059 .013 .374 4.416 .000 Bivariate correlation did not find any statistical relationship between reported income increase and reported technology use increase among the surveyed entrepreneurs. 15 R = .696, R2 = .485, adjusted R2 = .474, n = 48. 16 R = .374, R2 = .14, adjusted R2 = .133, n = 121. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 30 All past participants of HP LIFE training were asked about benefits of the training beyond learning ICT skills. New business contacts and ideas were reported as important benefits of the training. Both the employed HP LIFE trainees and the entrepreneurs appreciated the encouragement to create or grow their own business and the opportunities to learn from other trainees and the trainers. A few respondents also noted that they received hardware and technical support from trainers. Bivariate correlation analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between a reported increase in income and the reported training benefits of mentoring, interaction with other trainees, and encouragement. This statistical relationship is significant for both entrepreneurs and the employed. For the entrepreneurs, the most significant statistical association is between income increase and encouragement. For the employed, the association between increased income and all three benefits— encouragement, mentoring, and interaction with other trainees—is very significant, particularly the latter two, as shown in the table below. Benefits of training Correlation with income increase for entrepreneurs Correlation with income increase for the employed Encouragement p = .335** p = .158* Mentoring NS p = .375*** Interaction with other trainees NS p = .321*** * Significant at a .05 level, one-tail test ** Significant at a .01 level, one-tail test *** Significant at a .001 level, one-tail test NS: Not significant 1.6% 42.6% 50.8% 52.5% 63.9% 63.9% 4.2% 40.8% 57.7% 58.5% 54.2% 68.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% other mentoring interaction with trainees encouragement new business contacts new business ideas Benefits of HP LIFE Training Beyond ICT skills Employed (n=142) Entrepreneurs (n=61) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 31 “I work in a company that is with an Airtel Franchisee [Telecom sector] here in Jhansi. I feel satisfied with my work, and this HP LIFE training has helped me in terms of mainly gaining and enhancing my confidence level. I see a dramatic change in myself now after the training. Earlier I would be very diffident and not very forthcoming in my communication. This training has helped me tremendously in this. The tips offered to us in the training on communications have helped me in dealing effectively and positively with customers; it is helping me in my marketing function in my new job. I have been able to increase the number of our clients, and this for me personally also means more income as my salary is performance-related. I get an additional commission for every customer I bring in. So I am happy and every day gaining in confidence. I feel improvement in communication skills has been my greatest gain from this training. I also have intentions of starting my own business eventually, in the area of wedding event management (doing catering, set designing, etc.).” —A 25-year-old female past HP LIFE trainee in India, April 2012 These findings confirm that the value of the training far exceeds the simple transfer of knowledge about entrepreneurship concepts and ICT. For the training participants, the benefits of mentoring, interaction, and encouragement may be also very important. Are there any differences in how men and women perceive the benefits of the training beyond ICT skills? For men, bivariate correlation analysis showed a positive association between income increase and the reported benefits of mentoring, interaction with fellow trainees, new business ideas, and encouragement. For women, the most significant statistical association was found between reported income increase and the mentoring aspect of the program. Benefits of training Correlation with income increase for women Correlation with income increase for men Encouragement NS p = .370*** Mentoring p = .275** p = .331*** Interaction with other trainees NS p = .353*** New business ideas NS p = .194* * Significant at a .05 level, one-tail test ** Significant at a .01 level, one-tail test *** Significant at a .001 level, one-tail test NS: Not significant A significant finding here is the importance of mentoring and encouragement for both men and women. From both prior studies and qualitative data from this study, we know that women in particular benefit from these aspects of youth programming. For example, Alice, a 30-year-old single mother of two and high school graduate from Kenya, attended an HP LIFE training provided by TEARS Group Kenya in Nakuru. When Alice joined the training in 2010, she was unemployed and, in her own words, “not computer literate” and “ignorant.” She hoped the training would help her get a job. Instead, the training encouraged her to think about a business idea. In her March 2012 interview, Alice shared the following: HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 32 After the training it got me thinking about the poor quality of food in the area. So with the knowledge of operations from the course I can open a cafe with better food. I am in a youth group so I took a loan from there and started the business. You know this job revolves around marketing. [During HP LIFE training] we were helped to open e-mail addresses. I asked the [youth] group members to allow me to use the e-mail address to network with other youth groups and therefore market myself. Through interacting with the groups I know when they have projects and therefore can approach them. In addition to her cafe and catering business, Alice is now organizing a garbage collection for local families. She says she was inspired by a real-life success story she saw on the HP LIFE website about a youth group that collected garbage. With her friends, Alice started doing the same thing in her community. Her story is a great example of how HP LIFE training can transform the lives of an individual and a community. Did the survey data offer evidence of business creation as a result of HP LIFE training? Only 7 of the 117 (6 percent) business owners who responded to the survey said that they started their business after completing the training. A few of the seven were interviewed for the evaluation study, including Alice in Kenya, whose story is described above. Another interviewee, a 26-year-old man in China, always wanted to have his own business; he now owns a small food stall in a school campus. In his April 2012 interview, he said: To be honest, the training didn’t help much. I learned from the training that I can use IT tools like Excel to make my business more efficient. But this is not very useful to me now. I haven’t used any knowledge gained from the training. 1.6% 41.3% 56.2% 46.2% 64.1% 66.9% 4.2% 39.1% 56.2% 69.4% 47.7% 67.8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% other mentoring interaction with trainees encouragement new business contacts new business ideas Benefits of HP LIFE Training Beyond ICT skills, by Gender Women (87) Men (105) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 33 Other aspiring entrepreneurs might still be seeking to obtain funding to start their own businesses. An HP LIFE trainer in Nigeria in a March 2012 interview shared that although, in his opinion, HP life training has really helped the participants understand how to carry out market research online, cash flow analysis, and other business functions, some struggle to obtain funding to get their business off the ground: Some of the college graduates want to set up a business of their dream after being empowered with the HP life entrepreneurial program. One of the participants went ahead and started a cyber café in his locality. He began with one unit of Computer but has now expanded to over three units of computer with a server. However, some of the participants lack funds to launch out and so are still writing proposals to seek for funding from the government and other private sectors. Many of those who had a business prior to enrolling in the program reported gaining important skills that strengthened their business as a result of the training. For instance, in his April 2012 interview, an entrepreneur from India who runs a travel agency said that his customer base increased by at least 50 percent after he took the HP LIFE training: Our customer service has been very good after that. Now most of our customers stick to us; they keep coming back because they like our service. Our billing system is also good, as we now use Excel for doing our bills. And Internet has made booking of tickets very easy. Section Summary This section presented evaluation findings on the outcomes of the HP LIFE program as reported in participant surveys and trainer and participant interviews. Overall, the evaluation found that the program was successful in transferring knowledge of ICT and entrepreneurship concepts to training participants. The majority of past HP LIFE participants reported increased income as a result of the program. Statistical analyses showed a statistically significant association between reported income increase and improved ICT skills, controlling for prior knowledge. The study also found a statistically significant association between reported income increase as a result of the training and some “soft” benefits of the training, such as mentoring and encouragement. However, without a comparison group, it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions about the program’s effect on businesses. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 34 Bridge Farm—A Source of Healthy Food and Job Opportunities Rachel Odii is 33 years old and lives in Nigeria. She was unemployed for a time, but thanks to the HP LIFE training (formerly known as GET-IT training) she was able to increase her ICT knowledge on operations and management and to start her own farm. Rachel says: “I was unemployed and looking for a job for nearly two years. It was a difficult time. But through the HP LIFE training, I learnt a lot and became more focused on my business vision. I can now communicate effectively with people, and acquire skills and knowledge from my colleagues and other experts. The training taught me how to run my day-to-day business activities regarding operation and management. I now use Microsoft Outlook for scheduling appointments and creating my client contacts. The communication skills have helped me to become a better salesperson and to expand my business contacts.” Rachel started her “Bridge Farm” with a farmhouse, chicken pens, offices, and storage. The farm now has 242 birds ready for the market, and is ready to add about 500 day-old chicks. In the future, she hopes to extend into fish breeding, piggery, heliciculture, and animal product processing and storage. Today, Bridge Farm is not only a source of healthy food but also provides job opportunities for a community that badly needs both. But it is more than that: It is an inspiration for many. Despite persisting problems, such as budget deficits, fresh water shortages, marketing difficulties, and a recent loss of birds due to disease, Rachel is optimistic about the future. She plans to complete a second pen, which will hold more than 1,000 birds, and hopes to provide a total of 2,000 broilers. Rachel’s advice for unemployed youth: “You should start with small things. Don’t be lazy, and don’t worry about things you can’t change. One day a bigger opportunity will come and allow you to use your experience.” Source: CENSIRT, an HP LIFE training center in Abakaliki, Nigeria HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 35 Technology Use by HP LIFE Trainees The HP LIFE program is based on the premise that providing training on entrepreneurship and ICT skills to young people—both entrepreneurs and those wishing to become entrepreneurs—will improve outcomes for existing businesses and help create new businesses. The curriculum interweaves the entrepreneurship and ICT content, including learning materials for such telecommunication tools as e￾mail and social media, and the four most commonly used types of software: • Text-processing software, such as MS Word or an open-source equivalent, such as LibreOffice Writer • Spreadsheet software, such as MS Excel or LibreOffice Calc • Presentation software, such as MS PowerPoint or LibreOffice Impress • Database software, such as MS Access, SQL, or an open-source equivalent, such as LibreOffice Base17 To better understand the use of ICT skills by young entrepreneurs in study countries, the evaluation study collected data about the patterns of use of the most popular software, what features HP LIFE trainees use, what functions they use different software for, how comfortable they are with the software, and how important they perceive knowledge of the software to be. The evaluation questions asked to what extent graduates of the HP LIFE program use the ICT tools in their business, employment, or search for employment, and to what extent the ICT tools proved to be relevant to the businesses youth created or the employment they found. The study focused on telecommunication tools and the software types taught in the course, as listed above. 17 Database software was not included in the HP LIFE curriculum predecessors (STSB/MAP and GET-IT). “We make sure the modules were appropriately tailored to the knowledge base of the participants; for instance, there is a big difference in the knowledge base of the urban-based participants vs. the rural-based participants, the former being more familiar with computers and other aspects in general because of their exposure and wider opportunities compared to the latter. [Participants from rural areas] wanted to learn about entrepreneurship, but were less inclined to use technology for upgrading their related skills. It needed a lot of encouragement and persuasion on our part to convince them of its effectiveness. However, eventually these participants too gradually began to see the significance of this and got hooked onto it. Some of our participants are totally ‘raw’; they have to be handled tactfully to ensure they are on the same page as those who have a slight edge. There are also some who have heard about computers, but nurture a certain ‘fear’ of computers and are afraid to even touch a button lest they ‘mess’ up. There were others who were afraid to even switch on the computer; these had to be handled carefully. . . . Thus, every module was tailored and customized to the knowledge level of the participants. And this helped the participants to gain much, and they are doing well as a result of this.” —HP LIFE trainer in India, April 2012) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 36 The survey of HP trainees who are either employed or run their own businesses found similar patterns of use of telecommunication tools and software. About half or more of the surveyed HP LIFE trainees reported daily use of telecommunication tools and text-processing software, and about a third used spreadsheets daily. The difference in the frequency of regular use of software between the employed HP LIFE trainees and the entrepreneurs is not significant and may be attributed to chance. * The unemployed respondents were excluded from the analysis since they are not expected to use all ICT tools regularly. What features of these main software packages do HP trainees use, and what is their self-assessed level of proficiency? Based on the analysis of software proficiency tests used in U.S. high schools,18 colleges, and vocational institutions, we compiled a set of essential software functions for each of the four software types and for the telecommunication tools. Telecommunication Tools According to the survey results, telecommunication tools are the most frequently used ICT among the HP LIFE trainees. More than half the respondents said they use telecommunication tools (including e￾mail) daily, and about 17 percent more said they use them at least weekly. Only 12.1 percent of all 18 The following sources were used in selecting essential features of the four software types: California State University East Bay (http://www.cbe.csueastbay.edu/acct/PC_Prof.pdf); Online Technology Learning Center (http://www.online.tusc.k12.al.us/); Internet and Email Proficiency Test (http://qofp.com/techCoord_profiency.pdf); and Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~aharris/n100/wp.html). 6.2% 3.9% 8.8% 19.1% 32.2% 17.5% 27.6% 26.8% 45.9% 42.6% 17.5% 16.1% 31.7% 20.8% 13.1% 58.8% 52.3% 32.7% 14.1% 12.1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% telecommunication tools (n=291) text-processing software (n=328) spreadsheet software (n=306) presentation software (n=298) databases (n=289) Use of Software and Tools by Type* don't use monthly or more rarely weekly daily HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 37 surveyed entrepreneurs and 2.7 percent of the employed HP LIFE trainees said they don’t use telecommunication tools at all. When asked specifically about the functions used, Internet searching and social networking were among the most frequently mentioned by both the employed and entrepreneurs. * Those who said they do not use telecommunication tools were not asked this question; hence, the total N for this graph is smaller than the sample. Despite regular use, nearly two-thirds of the respondents evaluated their proficiency with telecommunication tools as “basic,” as shown in the chart below. 6.9% 19.5% 27.6% 33.3% 33.3% 66.7% 69.0% 4.3% 17.7% 27.4% 32.8% 47.8% 76.9% 73.7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% other videoconferencing wiki calendar functions tasks functions Internet search function social networking Features of Telecommunication Tools Used by HP LIFE Trainees in Their Job or Business* Employed (n=186) Entrepreneurs (n=87) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 38 How much of what past trainees know can be attributed to the HP LIFE program? The survey asked respondents to estimate how much of what they know about the use of telecommunication tools they learned from the LIFE curriculum or its predecessors (STSB/MAP, GET-IT). Over seventy percent reported that the HP LIFE program learned quite a lot or all of what they know about telecommunications. * Only the sub-sample of employed past HP LIFE trainees was used for this analysis. Text-Processing Software Text-processing software was indicated to be the most commonly used type of software among the surveyed HP LIFE trainees. About half the surveyed entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees said they use it daily; an additional 17.2 percent of entrepreneurs and 15.6 percent of the employed use it at 12.2% 12.2% 56.1% 13.3% 6.1% 3.2% 13.8% 62.2% 16.5% 4.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% do not use just started learning doing well with basic functions use some advanced functions completely proficient Proficiency with Telecommunications Tools Entrepreneurs (n=98) Employed (n=188) 1.2% 9.7% 15.2% 67.3% 5.5% 1.2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% nothing a little some quite a lot all that I know not sure Amount Learned about Telecommunications Tools from the HP LIFE Program (n=165) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 39 least weekly. Only 6.5 percent of the entrepreneurs and 2.8 percent of the employed said they don’t use it at all. As the following chart demonstrates, both the surveyed entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees use essential functions of text-processing software, such as creating and opening documents; printing documents; manipulating text, tables, and images; and using formatting options. Just under half said they use graphs and flowcharts as well. * Those who said they do not use text-processing software were not asked this question; hence, the total N for this graph is smaller than the sub-samples for the employed and the entrepreneurs. How proficient are the HP LIFE trainees with these features? The majority of the surveyed entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees said they are doing well with basic functions. Fewer than one in four respondents said they use advanced functions or are completely proficient. 13.9% 41.4% 41.4% 52.9% 63.2% 72.4% 73.6% 75.8% 94.3% 17.1% 50.3% 50.7% 59.1% 76.1% 77.6% 76.1% 75.6% 85.8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Other Inserting and formatting flowcharts Inserting and formatting graphs Inserting and formatting images Inserting and formatting tables Formatting text, paragraphs, and pages Cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting text Using print options Creating and opening documents Features of Text-processing Software Used by HP LIFE Trainees in Their Job or Business* Employed (n=205) Entrepreneurs (n=87) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 40 Almost three-quarters of all employed past participants of the HP LIFE program said they learned “quite a lot” or all they know from the curriculum. * Only the sub-sample of employed past HP LIFE trainees was used for this analysis. Spreadsheet Software About a third of all surveyed entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees said they use spreadsheets daily, and another third use spreadsheets at least once a week. Almost twice as many entrepreneurs as employed trainees don’t use spreadsheets at all (13.5 percent versus 6.4 percent). 6.1% 19.2% 51.5% 17.2% 6.1% 3.0% 15.8% 60.1% 15.3% 5.9% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% do not use just started learning doing well with basic functions use some advanced functions completely proficient Proficiency with Text-processing Software Entrepreneurs (n=99) Employed (n=203) 2.2% 12.0% 11.4% 70.1% 4.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% nothing a little some quite a lot all that I know Amount Learned about Text-processing Software from the HP LIFE Program (n=184) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 41 While a slightly higher proportion of the entrepreneurs said they use spreadsheets daily, the chart below shows that they use somewhat fewer functions compared to the employed. This pattern of use holds when controlling for the business area in which the respondents are employed or have a business. * Those who said they do not use spreadsheet software were not asked this question; hence, the total N for this graph is smaller than the sample. The majority of respondents indicated that they are doing well with the basic functions of spreadsheet software, with nearly a quarter saying they just started learning it. Fewer than one-fifth said they use advanced functions or are proficient. 6.6% 22.2% 28.9% 37.8% 46.7% 47.8% 51.1% 75.5% 78.9% 13.2% 39.2% 48.7% 48.1% 56.6% 60.3% 63.5% 79.4% 85.2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Other Setting cell attributes Filtering data Creating formulas Using functions Creating charts Sorting data Creating and opening spreadsheets Entering and editing data Spreadsheet Features Used by HP LIFE Trainees in Their Job or Business * Employed (n=189) Entrepreneurs (n=90) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 42 All past HP LIFE trainees who were working at the time of the survey were asked how much of what they know they learned from the LIFE curriculum. More than 60 percent answered, “Quite a lot,” and nearly 20 percent said they learned “some” of what they know from the training. 14.3% 17.3% 51.0% 12.2% 5.1% 6.6% 22.3% 56.9% 10.7% 3.6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% do not use just started learning doing well with basic functions use some advanced functions completely proficient Proficiency with the Spreadsheet Software Entrepreneurs (n=98) Employed (n=197) “I am a rice farmer, and my farm is located in Ezzagu in Ebonyi State. I started working on my father’s farm some years ago, helping with the planting, cultivating, and harvesting of rice, but at the local level, though it was a tedious work, till I later started my own farm. The training has gone a long way to help me in expanding my business. Before the HP LIFE program, I never touched a computer, but since I attended the training, I have seen a great change. I learnt how to write a business plan and schedule business with my customers via the text messages. Also, I understood how to use MS Excel to balance my account as well as how to design attractive fliers as a marketing strategy. HP LIFE training also helped my packaging. I currently package rice in kilograms. As a result, my packaged rice has gained popularity in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria. I was able to save some cost. I used to spend an average of N200.00 daily to meet my customers but now I use the bulk SMS system to communicate effectively with our customers. Technology has helped me disseminate information to hundreds of customers in a few minutes. “ —Past HP LIFE trainee in Nigeria, March 2012 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 43 * Only the sub-sample of working past HP LIFE trainees was used for this analysis. Presentation Software About a third of the surveyed HP LIFE entrepreneurs and the employed said they use presentation software weekly or more frequently. Additionally, 15.8 percent of entrepreneurs and 27.9 percent of the employed said they use it monthly. Nearly a quarter of entrepreneurs (23.8 percent) and 16.8 percent of the employed said they don’t use presentation software at all in their business or job. More than half the surveyed HP LIFE trainees said they create presentations with text and how to insert a flowchart or photo. Less than half said they use such features as inserting videos or adjusting the style of the presentation to suit the audience. Comparatively more employed trainees than entrepreneurs use the graphic elements of presentation software in their jobs. 3.0% 12.4% 19.5% 60.4% 4.7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% nothing a little some quite a lot all that I know Amount Learned about Spreadsheet Software from the HP LIFE Program (n=169)* HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 44 * Those who said they do not use presentation software were not asked this question; hence, the total N for this graph is smaller than the sample. As with the other types of software, the majority of respondents are doing well with the basic functions of presentation software that they use, and fewer than one in five said that they use advanced functions. 10.3% 27.2% 35.1% 36.3% 58.5% 62.3% 83.1% 11.6% 37.8% 36.6% 44.5% 68.3% 69.5% 84.7% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Other Inserting audio Inserting video Adjusting styles to suit the audience Inserting photo Creating presentations with graphics (e.g., flowchart) Creating presentations with text Presentation Software Features Used by HP LIFE Trainees in Their Job or Business * Employed (n=164) Entrepreneurs (n=77) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 45 As with the other software types, more than sixty percent of all past trainees said they learned “quite a lot” from the LIFE curriculum. * Only the sub-sample of working past HP LIFE trainees was used for this analysis. Database Software Database software was the type of software least commonly used by HP LIFE trainees; only a third of the surveyed entrepreneurs and 22.7 percent of the employed use databases once a week or more 24.5% 17.3% 42.9% 9.2% 6.1% 16.8% 19.4% 46.9% 11.2% 3.1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% do not use just started learning doing well with basic functions use some advanced functions completely proficient Proficiency with Presentation Software entrepreneurs (98) employed (n=196) 1.4% 13.2% 17.4% 61.8% 4.9% 1.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% nothing a little some quite a lot all that I know not sure Amount Learned about Presentation Software from the HP LIFE Program (n=144) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 46 frequently. A substantial proportion of the surveyed (37.4 percent of entrepreneurs and 29.5 percent of the employed) said they do not use databases at all. Regarding the database features that respondents use, survey results show that more entrepreneurs design their own databases, while the employed use database features to manipulate data (querying, filtering) and create reports. * Those who said they do not use database software were not asked this question; hence, the total N for this graph is smaller than the sample. The survey results show that a substantial proportion of respondents just started learning database software, slightly more than half consider themselves to be doing well with the basic functions, and only a small proportion use advanced features. A substantially higher proportion of entrepreneurs than the employed consider themselves proficient or use advanced functions (20.4 percent versus 7.2 percent). 11.3% 32.3% 35.5% 35.5% 37.2% 40.4% 41.9% 51.7% 58.1% 61.3% 6.0% 37.3% 45.6% 41.1% 45.6% 47.8% 51.4% 56.7% 59.7% 49.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% other setting field attributes naming fields merging data filtering data querying data creating and printing reports sorting data entering and editing data planning data structure Database Features Used by HP LIFE Trainees in Their Job or Business* Employed (n=134) Entrepreneurs (n=62) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 47 Database software was not included in the LIFE curriculum predecessors (STSB/MAP and GET-IT), so the survey did not ask past trainees to estimate how much of their proficiency they would attribute to the curriculum. Importance of Software Knowledge Surveyed entrepreneurs and employed HP LIFE trainees were asked to assess the relative importance of knowing how to use telecommunication tools and the four software types for the success of their business or job. The highest proportion of entrepreneurs and the employed said that knowledge of telecommunication tools is critically important to the success of their business. A higher proportion of entrepreneurs than the employed said that knowledge of databases and presentation software had critical importance. There was little difference in perceptions of the importance of text-processing and spreadsheet software between the entrepreneurs and the employed. 38.5% 13.5% 35.4% 7.3% 5.2% 30.8% 26.9% 37.4% 3.3% 1.6% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% do not use just started learning doing well with basic functions use some advanced functions completely proficient Proficiency with Database Software entrepreneurs (98) employed (n=196) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 48 * N for each category of respondents (entrepreneurs, the employed) that responded to the question about each type of software was different and thus is not included in the chart. Section Summary This section presented survey data on the use of ICT tools among entrepreneurs and employed past and current trainees of the HP LIFE program. The data showed that on average telecommunication tools (such as the Internet, e-mail, and cell phones) and text-processing software were the most frequently used ICT tools, with over half the entrepreneurs and the employed using them daily. Of those who use ICT tools and software, about two-thirds said they only use basic functions (and assessed their own proficiency as “basic”). Surveyed entrepreneurs use spreadsheets and databases more frequently than the employed, while the employed use text-processing and presentation software more frequently than the entrepreneurs. Only a small proportion of all the surveyed said that they use some advanced features of the ICT tools. Between 60 and 70 percent of past HP LIFE trainees said they learned “quite a lot” about using the studied ICT tools from the HP LIFE program. The majority of HP LIFE trainees think that ICT tools are important for their job or business. Additionally, one in five said the knowledge of telecommunication tools, and one in ten said the knowledge of different computer software, is “critically” important to the success of their job or business. 10.2% 11.7% 13.0% 13.1% 19.3% 11.9% 7.5% 12.1% 8.4% 21.2% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% spreadsheet software presentation software text processing software database software telecommunication tools Perceptions of Software Knowledge as “Critically Important” to Business or Job Success* Employed Entrepreneurs HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 49 Business Use of ICT Tools The HP LIFE program is designed to build entrepreneur’s ICT skills in the context of business development. How do HP LIFE trainees use those skills? The survey asked entrepreneurs to indicate which of a variety of suggested business functions they do with the help of software and which software they use. Only 4.9 percent of all surveyed entrepreneurs said they don’t use computers for business operations. As the graph below shows, the majority of the entrepreneurs use software for communication (such as drafting communications with funders or staff), for financial planning (doing calculations in spreadsheets, making graphs and projections, etc.), general planning of operations, business planning, and managing inventory. Less than half the surveyed entrepreneurs said they use software to track their expenses, manage finances, manage their invoices, or plan their marketing strategy. * Only business functions rather than tools such as e-mail, the Internet, and cell phones were included in this statistical analysis. The following charts show the use of text-processing and spreadsheet software for business purposes. 41.0% 43.6% 44.4% 46.2% 49.6% 53.8% 54.7% 59.8% 62.4% 69.2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Marketing planning Manage sales/invoices Manage finances General operations Expense tracking/cashflow projection Business planning Manage inventory General planning Financial planning Communication Use of Software for Business Functions* (n=117) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 50 Additionally, the entrepreneurs were asked about their business use of databases. Of all surveyed entrepreneurs, 39.3 percent said they use databases for general operations (such as managing inventory, maintaining client lists, and tracking purchase history), 31.6 percent said they use databases to manage their sales, and 26.5 percent said they use databases to track their expenses. 6.0% 23.1% 23.1% 31.6% 38.5% 40.2% 41.9% 43.6% 44.4% 52.1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Other Operations─manage staff Operations--manage inventory/sales Marketing plan General operations Marketing (brochures, etc.) Financial plan Business plan Communication (with clients, with staff) General planning Use of Text-processing Software for Business Functions (n=117) 1.7% 18.8% 23.9% 31.6% 34.2% 35.9% 36.8% 42.7% 43.6% 45.3% 51.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Other Operations─manage staff General operations Marketing plan (e.g., graphs, calculations) Manage finances Manage sales/invoices Operations─manage inventory General planning Expense tracking/cash flow projection Business plan (e.g., graphs, calculations) Financial plan (e.g., graphs, calculations) Use of Spreadsheet Software for Business Functions (n=117) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 51 Telecommunication tools occupy a special place in entrepreneurs’ lives. The surveyed entrepreneurs said they use e-mail, the Internet, and other communication tools not only for actual communication with clients and staff, but also for market research, for all different kinds of marketing, and to support the general operations of their business, as the chart below shoes. 0.9% 18.8% 20.5% 22.2% 28.2% 29.1% 29.9% 32.5% 41.0% 50.4% 56.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Other Manage staff Marketing─blogging Manage schedules General operations Marketing─website Manage contact list General marketing Marketing─social networking Market research Communication (with clients, with staff) Use of Telecommunication Tools in Business (n=117) “I have DSTV Business where I have a TV with DSTV connection and charge people who come and watch in my shop. I had some savings from doing masonry. I went to a friend of mine who is a supplier of shoes and told him about my situation. He gave me some financial support to install the DSTV. Before I went to him I had looked at the demand for DSTV. The nearest DSTV was 300 meters away, and almost 60 people from our area went there to watch. I then decided to install a DSTV in our area for them to watch football. I also realized that it was cold during the night matches and the customers could warm up with some tea and mandazi at an affordable price. Before I took the HP LIFE training, I used to collect all the money without knowing the expense and profit and at the end I was losing track. After the training I learnt how to keep account by writing it down at the end of each day. I am able to know my expenses and profit. Bookkeeping and how to communicate with customers were the two most important things that I took away from the training. There are those that come to the business with cigarettes, I put a no smoking sign outside and talk to them politely. I have learnt that there will be losses and profit in the business and that I have to be social and not to get angry easily so as to keep customers.” —Past HP LIFE trainee in Kenya, March 2012 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 52 Qualitative interviews with past participants showed that HP LIFE training allowed them to take their business to a new level by learning how to harness the power of ICT tools. Many past HP LIFE participants, as well as trainers, commented on their improved business efficiency since they started using technology for what they used to do manually. Business Development In addition to using telecommunication tools for marketing and communication, nearly three-quarters of entrepreneurs (73.5 percent) said they use these tools to strengthen and expand their business. Over half (51.3 percent) of the surveyed entrepreneurs said they use the Internet to research new markets. Other common uses include marketing, networking with other businesses or funders, researching their competitors, and seeking support for their business. Section Summary This section presented data on business use of computer software and telecommunication tools. According to the evaluation findings, the majority of HP LIFE-trained entrepreneurs predominantly use computer software for communication and planning activities. Over 95 percent said they use some ICT tools in planning and/or managing their businesses. Nearly three-fourths of the entrepreneurs said they use telecommunication tools to strengthen their business, including marketing, research, and networking with other businesses or funders. 3.4% 23.1% 23.9% 31.6% 35.0% 38.5% 47.9% 51.3% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% other learning about funding recruiting staff receiving mentoring or other business support learning about competitors networking with other businesses or funders marketing business or products researching new markets Use of Telecommunications Tools to Strengthen Business (n=117) “Before I started the HP LIFE program, I had an analogue farm, but now my farm has gone digital. So HP has made me digital. Now, I can schedule my appointments well, plot and retain my contacts, create fliers to advertise my products. This training has also taken me to a lot of places, like Cairo. I was one of the entrepreneurs sponsored to Cairo to share ideas with other entrepreneurs through the HP/CENSIRT partnership.” —Past HP LIFE trainee in Nigeria, March 2012 HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 53 Use of ICT Tools by the Unemployed Close to a third of all surveyed HP LIFE trainees (32.3 percent) said they do not have any source of income. However, most of them were actually enrolled students, and if we only consider past HP LIFE trainees, then only 10.7 percent of the entire sample said they do not have any source of income. Among those currently enrolled in the HP LIFE program, the largest proportion of unemployed respondents were from China, and the second largest proportion were from South Africa. Among the past HP LIFE trainees the largest proportion of the unemployed were from Nigeria, followed by Kenya. Gender distribution of the unemployed is similar to the general gender distribution of the sample, with the majority (57.1 percent) being male. HP LIFE Enrollment Status of the Unemployed Respondents at the Time of the Survey Total Current HP LIFE trainees Past HP LIFE trainees China Count 54 13 67 % 54.0% 24.1% 43.5% India Count 17 1 18 % 17.0% 1.9% 11.7% Kenya Count 0 15 15 % 0.0% 27.8% 9.7% Nigeria Count 5 25 30 % 5.0% 46.3% 19.5% South Africa Count 24 0 24 % 24.0% 0.0% 15.6% Total count 100 54 154 Total % 100% 100% 100% As the chart below demonstrates, nearly half the unemployed in the sample are students (“some college”), and almost a quarter have completed college. Nearly half the unemployed come from China; the majority of these (76.1 percent) are enrolled college students, and the remaining proportion have completed college.19 19 HP LIFE is implemented in China through a network of universities. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 54 Education Level of the Unemployed Respondents, by Country Total Completed primary school Some secondary school Completed secondary school Vocational training Some college Completed college China Count 0 0 0 0 51 16 67 & 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 76.1% 23.9% 100.0% India Count 0 0 0 10 2 6 18 & 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 55.6% 11.1% 33.3% 100.0% Kenya Count 0 0 2 0 10 3 15 & 0.0% 0.0% 13.3% 0.0% 66.7% 20.0% 100.0% Nigeria Count 0 0 15 0 4 11 30 & 0.0% 0.0% 50.0% 0.0% 13.3% 36.7% 100.0% South Africa Count 1 7 14 1 1 0 24 & 4.2% 29.2% 58.3% 4.2% 4.2% 0.0% 100.0% Total count 1 7 31 11 68 36 154 Because the majority of the unemployed respondents are enrolled students, it is not surprising that 43.1 percent of them said they are not currently looking for a job. This is particularly true in China, where the HP LIFE program is largely implemented in affiliation with universities and colleges (90 percent of the survey participants in China are either college students or college graduates). The survey data are supported by the qualitative interview findings from Qinghai Province, where two interviewed trainers reported that they work mainly with university students and graduates to encourage them to start their own business. One trainer described how trainees are recruited for the HP LIFE program: 0.6% 4.5% 20.1% 7.1% 44.2% 23.4% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Completed primary school Some secondary school Completed secondary school Vocational training Some college Completed college Education Level of the Unemployed Respondents HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 55 We collaborate with several universities within the province to promote [the] HP LIFE program. The universities call for students who want to start a business and put them into an “entrepreneurship course.” And our HP LIFE training is part of the course. The trainers reported that on average 80 percent of their HP LIFE trainees are university students, while the other 20 percent are college graduates who have already started their own business. Similarly, trainers from Kenya reported that that about 60 percent of their trainees are students, and 40 percent, mostly from “middle class” families, have their own business. Less than one-fifth of the unemployed said they would like to start their own business, and 40 percent said they are looking for a job. At the time of the survey, the job seekers had been searching, on average, for 5.4 months, and the aspiring entrepreneurs had been trying to start a business for 8.2 months. There is no gender difference in the respondents’ stated intention to search for a job or start a business. What kind of jobs are HP LIFE trainees looking for? As the chart below shows, most of them are looking for white-collar jobs (professions, office clerks, and managers), with only a few looking for blue-collar jobs, such as laborers, vendors, or drivers. Only a few respondents said they would take any job. These findings are consistent with the generally high level of education of the unemployed respondents. 39.9% 17.0% 43.1% Are You Looking for a Job or Trying to Start a Business Now? (n=153) Yes, looking for a job Yes, trying to start a business No HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 56 The majority of the unemployed respondents who said they are searching for a job are looking for employment in the area of manufacturing, and a substantial proportion are also looking for a job in services or trade. Among the respondents who said they are trying to start a business, the majority (65.4 percent) chose services as their business area. 3.3% 3.3% 4.9% 8.2% 8.2% 21.3% 23.0% 41.0% 50.8% 59.0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% vendor/seller security labor/menial jobs any driver other teacher manager office clerk professional Jobs that HP LIFE Trainees Are Looking for (n=61) 65.4% 23.1% 26.9% 11.5% 47.5% 55.7% 32.8% 13.1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Services Manufacturing Trade Farming Industry Where the Unemployed Respondents Are Looking For a Job or a Business Opportunity business starters (n=26) job seekers (n=61) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 57 To what extent do past HP LIFE trainees rely on telecommunication tools in their search for a job or their attempt to start a business? According to the survey, nearly 80 percent use the Internet to search for job openings or explore market opportunities, 65.6 percent e-mail their resume to employers, and almost 60 percent use social networking sites. What do young people need to help them develop a business? To address this question, the survey asked both unemployed and employed aspiring entrepreneurs what kind of support they could benefit from in order to start their business. Three-quarters of those who answered this question said they need help with the development of a business plan. Almost as important was support with developing a marketing plan and obtaining financing. 78.1% 65.6% 59.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Browsing the Internet for job openings or market opportunities E-mailing resume to potential employers Social networking (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn) Telecommunication Tools Used in Searching for a Job or in Starting a Business by Past HP LIFE Trainees (n=32) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 58 * The sub-sample for this analysis includes both the currently employed who said they are trying to start their own business and the unemployed. Section Summary This section presented survey data on the use of ICT tools by the unemployed respondents and their general aspirations. The survey found that only a small proportion of the unemployed are trying to start their own business, 40 percent are looking for a job, and nearly half are not looking for a job nor trying to start a business. A significant proportion (67.8 percent) of the surveyed unemployed are current students or college graduates. The majority of job seekers are looking for a professional position, and most of them use the Internet, e-mail, and social networking in their job search. Most of the aspiring business owners said they would welcome help with developing a business and a marketing plan and with obtaining funding to finance their start-up. 43.9% 43.9% 48.8% 56.1% 68.3% 68.3% 75.6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% assisting with business registration finding business premises identifying suppliers attracting customers obtaining capital developing marketing plan developing business plan Areas of Support for Aspiring Entrepreneurs (n=41*) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 59 Process Evaluation Findings The focus of the process component of the evaluation study was on the means and method of delivery of the curriculum content to its beneficiaries. Questions of the relevance of the curriculum for the country context, the accessibility and utility of its online applications, and the effectiveness of the delivery mechanisms were incorporated into the study. Both past and current HP LIFE trainees were invited to answer survey questions about the curriculum delivery process. Extensive qualitative data from China, Nigeria, and Kenya were used to supplement survey findings. Relevance of the LIFE Curriculum Nearly all survey respondents (entrepreneurs, employed youth, and unemployed youth) said they found the HP LIFE training to be relevant. The largest proportion who found the entire training relevant were entrepreneurs, 29.5 percent of whom said that all of the training was relevant to their needs. The perceptions of the relevance of the curriculum do not correlate with the age or education level of survey respondents. Country-level comparisons show that slightly more trainees in Kenya found the training relevant to their needs (a mean of 3.5, compared with the cross-country average of 2.9). Slightly fewer trainees in China found the training relevant to their needs (a mean of 2.6). However, the relatively small country-level sample size does not allow for definitive conclusions about the variations in the perceived relevance of the curriculum among the studied countries. 4.2% 20.0% 46.3% 29.5% 2.7% 26.6% 50.0% 20.7% 3.2% 21.6% 52.8% 22.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Not relevant at all Some of it is relevant Most of it is relevant All of it is relevant Perceptions of Relevance of HP LIFE Training (n=404) entrepreneurs (n=95) employed (n=184) unemployed (n=125) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 60 Why would some trainees perceive the training as not fully relevant for them? According to the qualitative data from Kenya, the curriculum requires that trainees have some basic ICT knowledge, and many of HP LIFE trainees in Kenya come without such knowledge. As a result, those trainees struggle to catch up. Trainers recommended establishing clear criteria for the level of ICT skills required to qualify for admittance to the training. For those who do not meet these criteria, a basic ICT training module might be a useful addition to the curriculum. Similarly, in his March 2012 interview, a trainer in Nigeria shared that only those trainees who had some prior computer training did well in his class: We found out that some of the participants did not go through any computer literacy program and so were unable to cope with the HP LIFE database programs. So we had to organize a basic computer training course for them before re-admitting them. In China, although most HP LIFE trainees had a high level of ICT proficiency, the interviewed trainers suggested that allowing the trainees more opportunities to practice their ICT skills would be beneficial. The survey asked HP LIFE program participants how well they thought the training addressed the needs of young people in their countries. The majority of respondents said that the training addressed most needs of young people in relation to the use of ICT in employment and new business development. Country-level analysis did not show substantial differences between respondents in different countries, suggesting that the curriculum is easily adaptable. Twenty-five percent of respondents said that country-specific needs are not addressed well or that only some of them are addressed well. These responses may be due in part to the fact that not all curricula materials have been translated into local languages. For instance, trainers in Kenya expressed a strong 2.2% 22.8% 53.2% 20.3% 1.5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Not well Some needs addressed well Most needs addressed well All needs addressed well Not sure Perceptions of Relevance of HP LIFE Training for the Country-specific Needs of Young People (n=404) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 61 preference for the curriculum to be taught in Kiswahili, citing poor command of English as a barrier for their trainees. This opinion was also voiced by the Chinese trainers, who said their trainees could not use the HP LIFE online resources because most of them are in English. What other country-specific needs are not addressed well? The most important unaddressed need cited by the young entrepreneurs, according to the qualitative interviews, was access to financing. Both trainers and participants said it was a major obstacle. According to a trainer in Nigeria in a March 2012 interview: The challenge we usually have with most of the graduates is lack of funds to create wealth after the HP LIFE training. Sometimes we have an idea but lack the funding requirements to execute the ideas. If HP could include modules on how to access soft loans or give the graduates a seed loan to start, it would do a lot of good. Finally, trainers and trainees in Africa emphasized that they cannot access much of the LIFE online resources because of the intermittent problems with electricity and unstable and weak Internet access. In a March 2012 interview, a trainer in Kenya shared the following: The curriculum is standardized globally but each and every region has its own needs. Like, they say the program is only two hours. It might be two hours in Europe where people have access to Internet, but here you find it takes much more time than two hours. So we would like once we have a global curriculum to have a standardized curriculum for that particular region. If it’s Africa, let’s have one for East Africa that suits the needs of the people of East Africa. That will have more ownership. I appreciate it has been standardized, but let’s try to localize that particular program at the lower level. Interviewed past participants and trainers in China said they would like to see more customization for the follow-up services, such as linkages to funding and assistance with registration. One trainer said she thought the characters and the story background in the textbook could be localized to Chinese content. For example, when she teaches the Question Card, she finds that participants often get confused by the foreign names. She also thought the case study could use cases from China or even local provinces. Most importantly, she said, in her March 2012 interview: The current curriculum meets the needs on knowledge and skills, but for entrepreneurship training, we need more content relevant to local context, like where to get funding, how to register a license, etc. To address this need, the trainer suggested developing a follow-up module with a mentoring component that would be completely localized. Bivariate correlation analyses between perceptions of curriculum relevance and respondent’s age, education level, or industry in which they are employed or running a business did not show any statistically significant relationships. Gender-level analysis did not show any meaningful differences in how male and female trainees perceive the relevance of the curriculum. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 62 I wanted to start my own business rather than be employed when I graduated from the college. So I started a small IT company together with a classmate. We started with building websites for the school. The company turned to a game business last year. I majored in ICT in the college, so the IT part [of the HP LIFE training] was not helpful to me. But I did learn something from the management and finance modules. The most important thing for me is the mindset of entrepreneurs and the way to think. The case study was also inspiring. First, I used the finance knowledge in my business. Because at the very beginning, we were not able to hire a professional finance person, so I had to do everything myself. Now, when we have a accountant, I still need this knowledge because I have to understand what’s going on. Second, I use the management knowledge because I am the manager of the business and have to take care of management structure, the employee wage structure, etc. I wish HP LIFE could provide some further and deepened training for people who already have their business. Because they’ve had basic and general knowledge about entrepreneurship. I find I lack a lot of knowledge, including strategy planning, venture capital. As business is growing, I need more advanced knowledge about finance regulation, payment systems, incentive systems, etc. —Past HP LIFE trainee in China, April 2012 The survey also asked respondents if learning additional technology and non-technology skills would be helpful in their businesses or employment. Among technology skills, computer networking, accounting software, and desktop publishing were among the most frequently mentioned. As for desirable “soft” skills, communication, management, networking, and leadership skills were mentioned most frequently. Gender-level analysis did not show differences beyond a few percentage points in respondents’ opinions. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 63 4.3% 19.7% 29.1% 29.9% 31.6% 36.6% 41.0% 4.0% 17.5% 37.2% 45.3% 43.0% 34.5% 51.6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% other none data security desktop publishing accounting software website design computer networking Other Technology Skills HP LIFE Trainees Would Like to Learn Employed (n=223) Entrepreneurs (n=117) 0.9% 34.2% 36.8% 40.2% 44.4% 45.3% 48.7% 53.0% 54.7% 1.8% 36.3% 53.4% 45.7% 52.9% 41.3% 51.1% 61.9% 55.6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% other conflict resolution public speaking team building leadership skills marketing and sales networking management communication Other Non-technology Skills HP LIFE Trainees Would Like to Learn Employed (n=223) Entrepreneurs (n=117) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 64 The qualitative data supported these survey findings. According to trainee interviews conducted in Kenya, Nigeria, and China, life skills, including communication, leadership, and conflict resolution, should be integrated into the curriculum in a more prominent way. Some HP LIFE trainers noted that lower￾income trainees may also suffer from low self-esteem and need help in building up their confidence to pursue their chosen career path. They suggested that the curriculum incorporate life skills in a more purposeful way. 20 Some training centers (e.g., in Kenya) are already addressing this need by pairing the LIFE curriculum with a life skills course. At the same time, some interviewed trainers and HP LIFE participants noted that the “soft” skills, particularly communication and customer relations skills, taught in the marketing and communication components of the curriculum were found to be relevant to all HP LIFE trainees, not just those who choose to pursue a career in entrepreneurship. For instance, in her March 2012 interview, a trainer in Kenya shared a story of a young woman who took the training and is now employed with a driving school. Although she is not currently interested in starting her own business, she is able to be successful in her job by applying communications and customer relations skills she learned from the HP LIFE training: She is dealing with customers in terms of the marketing; she helps to get students to train for the driving course. She also applies communication in the day-to-day running because she is at the front office and she communicates with clients who come for the inquiries in that organization. Delivery of the LIFE Curriculum The LIFE curriculum is delivered around the world by training centers that have a substantial degree of flexibility in how they use the curriculum. The curriculum is designed to be modular. Some centers choose to implement the curriculum in its entirety, while other centers use select curriculum modules to supplement their own training. But whichever way they decide to use the curriculum, the mode of delivery is specified within the curriculum modules and thus comparable across different training centers. The LIFE training materials combine online and offline resources. The offline resources typically used by trainers are the textbook, a projector with slides, a flip chart with markers, and Question Cards. The trainers are expected to know the material well enough to be able to tell the stories from the textbook (of business challenges or scenarios) without referring to the text, ask participatory questions, and organize small- and large-group discussions. Students are expected to use computers to do practice exercises. The online resources are supplemental and consist of websites with the following information: • Information about entrepreneurship • Resources on learning the computer software and ICT tools 20 For instance, an HP LIFE trainer in Nigeria shared that the government of Nigeria, in partnership with UNIDO, plans to integrate components of the HP LIFE curriculum into the secondary school curriculum. The government is targeting at least 13 schools, including the technical schools. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 65 • Tips, blogs, and success stories • Games Different Modes of Curriculum Delivery Among all the features of the curriculum delivery, the evaluation asked participants in particular about the online resources (including tips, blogs, and games), practical exercises using computers, and face-to￾face interaction with the trainer. Nearly four in five respondents (79.5 percent) perceived face-to-face interaction to be most useful in helping them learn, followed by practical exercises on the computer (73.8 percent). During qualitative interviews, trainers mentioned computer exercises and examples as very beneficial. For instance, in an April 2012 interview, a trainer in Kenya said: What works well is the demonstration part of the curriculum, because if you do it theoretically they will not have the concept of what you are talking about. A similar opinion was expressed by a trainer in India in an April 2012 interview: Group discussion and classroom interaction were very effective. Without this interactive approach, our training would have been ineffective and dull. It also gave the participants the opportunity to seek clarification, and ensure direct application to their specific needs and requirements. Of those trainees that used the online tools, roughly half found them useful, as the following chart shows. 21 21 Please see the Appendix for the exact wording of survey questions. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 66 The qualitative data support the survey findings that face-to-face instruction was perceived as the most beneficial, in part, due to problems with technology in some training centers. For example, a trainer in Nigeria shared that although he initially used a projector in his instruction, he had to switch to flip charts because the only two projectors in his training centers are broken beyond repair. Another problem that some trainers experience is insufficient capacity of their training center to accommodate trainees. As a trainer in Nigeria shared in a March 2012 interview: The space is not enough for participants. We just have about 10 working systems here, which is grossly inadequate. We are scared of making radio announcements because we don’t have enough space and equipment. All interviewed trainers expressed satisfaction with the printed HP LIFE materials. By and large, if the trainees have basic computer skills, trainers in China, Kenya, and Nigeria thought that the materials were just right in terms of difficulty for their trainees, and engaging enough to keep trainees’ interest. A trainer in China expressed a need for more alternatives to the traditional face-to-face or online methods of teaching. For trainees from some remote parts of China to be able to access HP LIFE training, she thought that different methods could be employed, such as offering training via webcams. Computer access in remote locations would need to be considered. 3.8% 27.7% 41.7% 20.5% 22.6% 31.0% 29.6% 79.5% 73.8% 41.2% 28.8% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% face-to-face interaction (n=399) practical exercises using computers (n=400) online tips, blogs, and other tools (n=393) online LIFE games (n=396) Perceptions of Usefulness of Different Modes of the Curriculum Delivery did not use not very useful all/most was useful HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 67 HP LIFE Online At the time of the evaluation the online resources were of supplemental nature and not designed to function independently of the face-to-face instruction. HP LIFE websites offer multiple resources on both ICT and entrepreneurship. Of those surveyed, 72.3 percent used the HP LIFE online tips, blogs, and other resources, and 58.3 percent said attempted to play LIFE online games designed to enhance entrepreneurship skills. Country-level analysis showed that use was not evenly distributed across countries: just over half the respondents from India tried HP LIFE online resources, compared with 85.2 percent in South Africa and 77.1 percent in China22. “How useful did you find online HP LIFE tips, blogs, and other online tools in helping you learn?” Total Did not use them Tried them but did not find them useful Some of them were useful Most of them were useful All of them were useful China Count 27 4 37 42 8 118 % 22.9% 3.4% 31.4% 35.6% 6.8% 100.0% India Count 32 2 24 9 0 67 % 47.8% 3.0% 35.8% 13.4% 0.0% 100.0% Kenya Count 10 0 5 14 7 36 % 27.8% 0.0% 13.9% 38.9% 19.4% 100.0% Nigeria Count 31 3 31 28 18 111 % 27.9% 2.7% 27.9% 25.2% 16.2% 100.0% South Africa Count 9 2 14 15 21 61 % 14.8% 3.3% 23.0% 24.6% 34.4% 100.0% Total count 109 11 111 108 54 393 Similar data distribution patterns were observed with regard to the use of LIFE online entrepreneurship games. Only one-quarter of Indian respondents said they used online entrepreneurship games, compared with 65 percent or more in China, Kenya, and South Africa. Gender-level analysis did not show substantial variations in respondents’ ratings of the utility of modes of curriculum delivery. “How useful did you find online LIFE entrepreneurship games in helping you learn?” Did not use Total them Tried them but did not find them useful Some of them were useful Most of them were useful All of them were useful China Count 34 9 38 29 9 119 % 28.6% 7.6% 31.9% 24.4% 7.6% 100.0% India Count 51 1 9 5 1 67 % 76.1% 1.5% 13.4% 7.5% 1.5% 100.0% 22 It is likely that the actual proportion of HP LIFE trainees who accessed the online resources was smaller since the survey sample bias is toward beneficiaries with Internet access. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 68 Kenya Count 13 2 8 8 6 37 % 35.1% 5.4% 21.6% 21.6% 16.2% 100.0% Nigeria Count 49 11 27 17 9 113 % 43.4% 9.7% 23.9% 15.0% 8.0% 100.0% South Africa Count 18 3 9 12 18 60 % 30.0% 5.0% 15.0% 20.0% 30.0% 100.0% Total count 165 26 91 71 43 396 According to the qualitative data from Africa, problems with electricity and poor access to the Internet impeded trainees’ and trainers’ ability to access online resources. As an HP LIFE trainer in Kenya noted in a March 2012 interview: When we are in the session and the power goes off, there is no power. You have to wait for the power to be there, so that takes so much of your time. Developing countries, we have no huge access to the Internet, there is a lot of breakouts and we only depend on Kenya Power and Lighting Co., so when there is no power there is no any kind of training. [HP LIFE] is so much about online. I know we are going online but for us to reach the people who really need this program, they cannot access it online. So that’s another limitation we have. Training centers in Nigeria also experience difficulty with access to the Internet. In his March 2012 interview, one trainer said that when he needs to use HP LIFE online resources, he has to leave the training center: When there is a need to access the Internet, we take them to a cyber café because the radio linkage for the Internet is not working here. Any time we have to do things online [we go to a cyber café] but we usually have difficulties accommodating all the students there, when there are many customers at the Internet café. So let’s say that the in-class discussion and computer exercises work better for us. Interviewed trainers in China expressed a similar sentiment: The curriculum relies too much on online resources that are not always accessible to them and frequently are not accessible to Chinese HP LIFE trainees outside the training center. Some HP LIFE trainees in China who tried the online entrepreneurship game said the loading speed was too slow, and the game itself was not interesting for them. Despite the reported challenges, according to survey findings, on average three-quarters of trainees were able to access these resources. The majority of respondents said they found these resources useful in helping them learn computer software and telecommunication tools. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 69 A similar proportion of HP LIFE trainees said they accessed HP LIFE online resources to learn about entrepreneurship. Just over half of all surveyed entrepreneurs said they found most or all of these resources useful. Almost a quarter said they do not use these resources. A smaller proportion of the employed HP LIFE trainees than the entrepreneurs or the unemployed said they accessed these resources or found them useful. 22.4% 24.4% 25.7% 27.1% 24.1% 25.0% 24.1% 22.6% 53.4% 50.7% 50.3% 50.2% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% telecommunication tools (n=348) presentation software (n=308) text-processing software (n=374) spreadsheet software (n=350) Perceptions of Usefulness of HP LIFE Online Resources for Learning ICT Tools did not use not very useful most/all were useful 24.2% 7.4% 15.8% 32.6% 20.0% 29.3% 4.9% 22.8% 26.6% 16.3% 24.2% 2.4% 25.8% 31.5% 16.1% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% did not use them tried them but did not find them useful some of them were useful most of them were useful all of them were useful Perceptions of Usefuleness of HP LIFE Online Resources on Entrepreneurship entrepreneurs (n=95) employed (n=184) unemployed (124) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 70 Controlling for respondents’ status in terms of entrepreneurship, statistical analysis showed that significantly fewer female HP LIFE trainees access HP LIFE online resources on entrepreneurship, and those who do access them find them not as useful as their male counterparts do. While 52.4 percent of men find most or all HP LIFE online resources on entrepreneurship useful, only 37.5 percent of women do. Regarding the LIFE online resources on entrepreneurship, the majority of the surveyed trainees who use online resources said that the most useful are the tips on marketing, running a business, and using technology. Nearly half said they find the success stories useful. 21.7% 3.7% 22.2% 33.2% 19.2% 33.5% 5.1% 24.0% 24.2% 13.3% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% did not use them tried them but did not find them useful some of them were useful most of them were useful all of them were useful Perceptions of Usefuleness of HP LIFE Online Resources on Entrepreneurship, by Gender men (n=246) women (157) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 71 There is no significant difference in perceptions of the usefulness of online tools between men and women. Section Summary The majority of the study participants said they find most or all of the curriculum to be relevant to their needs. Poor telecommunications infrastructure (the availability of stable electricity and Internet access) was reported as a challenge by trainers/trainees in developing countries. Many training participants said that they would benefit from learning additional non-technology skills, such as communication, management, networking, sales, leadership, team building, public speaking, and conflict resolution. Fewer training participants said that they would benefit from learning additional technology skills, such as computer networking, website design, accounting software, desktop publishing, and data security. Finally, face-to-face instruction and off-line computer exercises were found to be the most effective modes of curriculum delivery. Roughly three-quarters of all respondents said they used the supplemental online resources of which half to two-thirds found them useful. 2.4% 17.2% 31.8% 47.6% 62.2% 64.9% 67.6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Other Online games Blogs Success stories Tips on using technology Tips on running a business Tips on marketing Most Useful Features of LIFE Online Resources on Entrepreneurship (n=296) HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 72 Implications for Future Youth Entrepreneurship Programs This report’s findings, which confirm existing knowledge as well as reveal new information about effective youth entrepreneurship programs, have useful implications for the design and implementation of future entrepreneurship programs: • The importance of ICT skills for aspiring entrepreneurs, as well as young people seeking employment, should be recognized and incorporated in entrepreneurship programming in a way that is appropriate for each local context. The evaluation findings emphasize the particular importance of telecommunication tools, text-processing software and spreadsheets software as these were most frequently used by trainees and reported as the most useful to them. • The evaluation findings highlight the importance of life skills, such as communication skills, for both potential entrepreneurs and job seekers. This confirms program experiences that have also found life skills training to be a valuable complement of both vocational and entrepreneurship training. In fact, offering entrepreneurship training along with life skills training is now a common practice within many youth programs, a finding that serves as further support for this program investment. In addition, as the report findings highlighted, the trainees most valued communication and basic management skills among the life skills needed for their work or business. As life skills curricula are adapted for entrepreneurship training, emphasis should be given to these training modules. • The report’s finding about the importance of mentoring for women builds on research that shows the value of mentoring on increased self-efficacy for both men and women. This adds credibility to anecdotal evidence about the importance of coaching and mentoring in youth programs.23 This finding suggests not only the need to ensure that entrepreneurship training includes a mentoring component, but also that female entrepreneurs often need specific support and encouragement, as well as role models. Program experience from the USAID￾funded EQUIP3 youth program and other international youth programs in developing countries shows that different factors affect female and male youth’s motivation and capacity to successfully launch and maintain a business, such as socio-cultural norms that may negatively impact young women’s self-confidence, constrained access to credit, or social stigmas around self-employment. Trainers, community mentors, and program alumna can serve as positive role models for young women and assist them in navigating the different challenges involved in self￾employment. • While the report’s findings support the assumption that training is valuable for both entrepreneurs and job seekers, they also confirm the importance of non-training elements to entrepreneurs, such as information on linkages to financing and follow-up support. Youth 23 Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. New York, NY: General Learning Press. HP LIFE Evaluation Report 2012 73 programs are more likely to be effective in helping young people enter the workforce if they offer youth a package of services that includes but is not limited to training.24 • While the online content in the current HP LIFE program is merely supplemental, the evaluation findings emphasize the benefits of the face-to-face mode of delivery over the online mode, particularly in environments where poor telecommunications infrastructure prevents full access to online resources. As programs seek opportunities to replicate effective training methods using online platforms, they should explore ways to offer non-training benefits of the program, such as mentorship, encouragement, and the exchange of ideas among participants in an online￾mediated training environment or through supplemental face-to-face exchanges. 24 Education Development Center, Inc. (2012). EQUIP3 lessons learned: Experiences in livelihoods, literacy and leadership in 26 countries. Washington, DC: US Agency for International Development. Welcome to the HP LIFE Evaluation survey! If you accept the invitation to participate in this survey, we will ask you to read and answer questions about your experience with HP LIFE training. Participation in the survey is associated with minimal risk of harm and no more inconvenience that ordinarily encountered in daily life. Your feedback will contribute to improving the HP LIFE curriculum for the future. The HP LIFE staff will protect your privacy as well as that of all of the participants in all published reports resulting from this survey. All information gathered will be maintained in strict confidentiality. No one will see your answers, and when HP LIFE staff analyze your answers, they will be analyzed together with answers of hundreds of other people, so no one will be able to tell how you answered these questions. Your participation in the HP LIFE Survey is completely voluntary. STATEMENT OF CONSENT I have read the summary of the survey above. What is the year of your birth? What is your gender? What is your education level? Are you currently participating in HP LIFE training? HP LIFE Evaluation Survey * Background Information Year: * * nmlkj I agree to participate in the HP LIFE Survey. nmlkj I do NOT agree to participate in the HP LIFE Survey. nmlkj Male nmlkj Female nmlkj Completed primary school nmlkj Some secondary school nmlkj Completed secondary school nmlkj Vocational training nmlkj Some college nmlkj Completed college nmlkj Yes nmlkj No Which modules of HP LIFE curriculum are you taking? (select all that apply) What was your main source of income prior to participation in HP LIFE training? What kind of business are you engaged in? How many employees does your business have? (Please do not include yourself) How long have you been running a business/been self-employed? Are you looking for a job or trying to start a business now? Current Participant Background Information * Current Participant Business Information Full time Part time number of years Current Participant No Business * Current Participant Job Seeker gfedc operation & management gfedc finance gfedc communication gfedc marketing nmlkj my own business nmlkj engaged in family enterprise nmlkj employed elsewhere nmlkj none nmlkj Services nmlkj Manufacturing nmlkj Farming nmlkj Trade nmlkj Yes, looking for a job nmlkj Yes, trying to start a business nmlkj No What kind of job are you looking for? (select all that apply) What kind of support would you benefit from in starting a business? (select all that apply) In what industry are you looking for a job or trying to start a business? (select all that apply) Current Participant Business Startup Current Participant Job Seeker/Business Startup gfedc professional gfedc manager gfedc office clerk gfedc labor/menial jobs gfedc vendor/seller gfedc security gfedc teacher gfedc driver gfedc other gfedc any gfedc developing a business plan gfedc obtaining a capital gfedc assisting with business registration gfedc finding business premises gfedc developing a marketing plan gfedc identifying suppliers gfedc attracting customers gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc Services gfedc Manufacturing gfedc Farming gfedc Trade How long have you been looking for a job or trying to start a business? What is your average MONTHLY income now? 1. Text Processing Software How often did you use text processing software (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer or similar) in your business or job before you started HP LIFE training? 1. Text Processing Software (continued) In your business or job, did you use text processing software for… (select all that apply) Number of months Current Participant Income Information $ Dollars a month Current Participant Technology Utilization * Current Participant Technology Utilization * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc General planning gfedc Business plan gfedc Financial plan gfedc Marketing plan gfedc General operations gfedc Operations--manage inventory/sales gfedc Operations--manage staff gfedc Communication (with clients, with staff) gfedc Marketing (brochures, etc) gfedc Other Please specify "other" Which of the following features of text processing software did you use? (select all that apply) How comfortable were you with the text processing software before you started HP LIFE training? How important is your knowledge of text processing software for the success of your business or job? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about text processing software, how useful did you find them? * * Current Participant Technology Utilization gfedc Creating and opening documents gfedc Using print options gfedc Formatting text, paragraphs, and pages gfedc Cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting text gfedc Inserting and formatting flow charts gfedc Inserting and formatting tables gfedc Inserting and formatting graphs gfedc Inserting and formatting images gfedc other nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful 2. Spreadsheets How often did you use spreadsheets (e.g., MS Excel, LibreOffice Calc or similar) in your business or job before you started HP LIFE training? 2. Spreadsheets (continued) In your business or job, did you use spreadsheets for… (select all that apply) * Current Participant Technology Utilization * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc General planning gfedc Business plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc Financial plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc Marketing plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc General operations gfedc Operations--manage inventory gfedc Operations--manage staff gfedc Manage finances gfedc Manage sales/invoices gfedc Expense tracking/cashflow projection gfedc Other Please specify "other" Which features of spreadsheets did you use before you started HP LIFE training? (select all that apply) How comfortable were you with the spreadsheets software before you started HP LIFE training? How important is your knowledge of spreadsheet software for the success of your business or job? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about spreadsheets, how useful did you find them? * * Current Participant Technology Utilization gfedc Creating and opening spreadsheets gfedc Entering and editing data gfedc Creating charts gfedc Creating formulas gfedc Using functions gfedc Sorting data gfedc Filtering data gfedc Setting cell attributes gfedc Other nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful 3. Presentations How often did you use presentation software (e.g., LibreOffice Impress, MS PowerPoint or similar) in your business or job before you started HP LIFE training? 3. Presentations (continued) In your business or job, did you use presentation software for… (select all that apply) Which features of presentation software did you use before you started HP LIFE training? (select all that apply) How comfortable were you with the presentation software before you started HP LIFE training? * Current Participant Technology Utilization * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc Communication (with funders, clients, etc.) gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc Creating presentations with text gfedc Creating presentations with graphics (e.g., flowchart) gfedc Inserting photo gfedc Inserting audio gfedc Inserting video gfedc Adjusting styles to suit the audience gfedc Other nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient How important is your knowledge of presentation software for the success of your business or job? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about presentations, how useful did you find them? 4. Telecommunication How often did you use telecommunication tools (e.g., email, Internet applications, MS Outlook, Skype) in your business or job before you started HP LIFE training? 4. Telecommunication (continued) * Current Participant Technology Utilization * Current Participant Technology Utilization nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it In your business or job, did you use telecommunication tools for… (select all that apply) Which features of telecommunication tools did you use before you started HP LIFE training? (select all that apply) gfedc Market research gfedc Communication (with clients, with staff) gfedc General marketing gfedc Marketing--website gfedc Marketing--blogging gfedc Marketing--social networking gfedc General operations gfedc Manage contact lists gfedc Manage schedules gfedc Manage staff gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc calendar functions gfedc tasks functions gfedc Internet search engine gfedc videoconferencing gfedc wiki gfedc social networking gfedc other Please specify "other" How have you used telecommunications tools (e.g., Internet, social media) to strengthen your business before you started HP LIFE training? (select all that apply) How comfortable were you with the telecommunication tools you are using before you started HP LIFE training? How important is your knowledge of telecommunication tools for the success of your business or job? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about telecommunication tools, how useful did you find them? * * * Current Participant Technology Utilization gfedc researching new markets gfedc marketing business or products gfedc learning about competitors gfedc networking with other businesses or funders gfedc recruiting staff gfedc learning about funding gfedc receiving mentoring or other business support gfedc other Other (please specify) nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful 5. Databases How often did you use databases (e.g., MS Access, LibreOffice Base, SQL) in your business or job before you started HP LIFE training? 5. Databases (continued) In your business or job, did you use databases for… (select all that apply) Which features of databases did you use before you started HP LIFE training? (select all that apply) * Current Participant Technology Utilization nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc operations (e.g. manage inventory, client lists, purchase histories) gfedc finances--manage sales/invoices gfedc finances--expense tracking/cash flow projection gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc planning data structure gfedc naming fields gfedc setting field attributes gfedc entering and editing data gfedc sorting data gfedc filtering data gfedc querying data gfedc merging data gfedc creating and printing reports gfedc other How comfortable were you with the database software before you started HP LIFE training? How important is your knowledge of database software for the success of your business or job? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about databases, how useful did you find them? Overall, to what extent do you find HP LIFE training relevant for your business or job needs? * * Current Participant Other * nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj Not relevant at all nmlkj Some of it is relevant nmlkj Most of it is relevant nmlkj All of it is relevant How well do you think HP LIFE training addresses the needs of young people starting a business in your community? How useful did you find face-to-face interaction with the HP LIFE trainer in helping you learn? How useful did you find practical exercises using a computer in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE games in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE tips, blogs and other online tools in helping you learn? * nmlkj Not well nmlkj Some needs addressed well nmlkj Most needs addressed well nmlkj All needs are addressed well nmlkj was not useful nmlkj some of it was useful nmlkj most of it was useful nmlkj all of it was useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful Beyond learning about using technology, in what ways are you finding HP LIFE training beneficial? (select all that apply) If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about entrepreneurship, how useful did you find them? Which features of HP LIFE website do you find particularly useful? (select all that apply) * * Current Participant Other gfedc mentoring gfedc interaction with other trainees gfedc new business contacts gfedc new business ideas gfedc encouragement to create/grow a business gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful gfedc Online games gfedc Tips about running a business gfedc Tips on using technology gfedc Tips about marketing gfedc Blogs gfedc Success stories gfedc Other Please specify "other" What are other technological tools for your business you would like to learn more about? (select all that apply) What non-technological skills would you like to learn more about for your business? (select all that apply) Do you recall what modules of STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training did you take? (select all that apply) * Past Participant Background Information gfedc none gfedc website design gfedc desktop publishing gfedc accounting software gfedc data security gfedc computer networking gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc communication gfedc public speaking gfedc conflict resolution gfedc networking gfedc management gfedc team building gfedc leadership skills gfedc marketing and sales gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc operation & management gfedc finance gfedc communication gfedc marketing gfedc I don't remember What was your main source of income prior to participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T￾Tools or HP LIFE training? What is your main source of income now? What kind of business are you engaged in? How many employees does your business have? (Please do not include yourself) How long have you been running a business/been self-employed? What was your average MONTHLY income prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET￾IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? * * Entrepreneur Business Information Full time Part time years months $ Dollars a month nmlkj my own business nmlkj engaged in family enterprise nmlkj employed elsewhere nmlkj none nmlkj my own business nmlkj engaged in family enterprise nmlkj employed elsewhere nmlkj none nmlkj Services nmlkj Manufacturing nmlkj Farming nmlkj Trade Did your income increase as a result of your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? Did you experience an increase in use of different technology (computer software and telecommunication tools) following STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? Entrepreneurship Data What changes did you experience in your business as a result of the increased use of technology? (select all that apply) 1. Text Processing Software * * Entrepreneur Background Information * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj income stayed the same nmlkj decreased nmlkj increased a little (1-5%) nmlkj increased somewhat (6-10%) nmlkj increased significantly (11-20%) nmlkj increased very significantly (more than 20%) nmlkj not sure nmlkj Yes nmlkj No nmlkj Not sure gfedc no changes in business gfedc decreased workload gfedc greater efficiency of business operations gfedc expanded business opportunities/access to markets gfedc expanded funding options gfedc improved accuracy of record keeping gfedc other Please specify "other" How often do you use text processing software (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer or similar) in your business? 1. Text Processing Software (continued) In your business, did you use text processing software for… (select all that apply) Which features of text processing software did you use? (select all that apply) * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc General planning gfedc Planning--business plan gfedc Planning--financial plan gfedc Planning--marketing plan gfedc General operations gfedc Operations--manage inventory/sales gfedc Operations--manage staff gfedc Communication (with clients, with staff) gfedc Marketing (brochures, etc) gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc Creating and opening documents gfedc Using print options gfedc Formatting text, paragraphs, and pages gfedc Cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting text gfedc Inserting and formatting flow charts gfedc Inserting and formatting tables gfedc Inserting and formatting graphs gfedc Inserting and formatting images gfedc Other How comfortable are you with the text processing software you are using? How important is your knowledge of text processing software for the success of your business? If you had your business prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you use text processing software for your business operations? Please estimate how much of what you now know about text processing software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training * * * * nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj never nmlkj rarely nmlkj rather often nmlkj very often nmlkj all the time nmlkj didn't have business prior to HP LIFE training nmlkj don't remember nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about text processing software, how useful did you find them? 2. Spreadsheets How often do you use spreadsheets (e.g., MS Excel, LibreOffice Calc or similar) in your business? 2. Spreadsheets (continued) Entrepreneur Technology Utilization * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj did not use nmlkj not useful at all nmlkj somewhat useful nmlkj rather useful nmlkj very useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it In your business, do you use spreadsheets for… (select all that apply) Which features of spreadsheets do you use for your business? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the spreadsheets software you are using? * * gfedc General planning gfedc Business plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc Financial plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc Marketing plan (e.g., graphs, calculations, etc) gfedc General operations gfedc Operations--manage inventory gfedc Operations--manage staff gfedc Manage finances gfedc Manage sales/invoices gfedc Expense tracking/cashflow projection gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc Creating and opening spreadsheets gfedc Entering and editing data gfedc Creating charts gfedc Creating formulas gfedc Using functions gfedc Sorting data gfedc Filtering data gfedc Setting cell attributes gfedc Other nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient How important is your knowledge of spreadsheet software for the success of your business? If you had your business prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you use spreadsheets software for your business operations? Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of spreadsheets you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about spreadsheets, how useful did you find them? 3. Presentations * * * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj never nmlkj rarely nmlkj rather often nmlkj very often nmlkj all the time nmlkj didn't have business prior to HP-LIFE nmlkj don't remember nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful How often do you use presentation software (e.g., LibreOffice Impress, MS PowerPoint or similar) in your business? 3. Presentations (continued) In your business, do you use presentation software for… (select all that apply) Which features of presentation software do you use for your business? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the presentation software you are using? * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc Communication (with funders, clients, etc.) gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc Creating presentations with text gfedc Creating presentations with graphics (e.g., flowchart) gfedc Inserting photo gfedc Inserting audio gfedc Inserting video gfedc Adjusting styles to suit the audience gfedc Other nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient How important is your knowledge of presentation software for the success of your business? If you had your business prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you use presentation software for your business operations? Please estimate how much of what you now know about the use of presentation software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about presentations, how useful did you find them? 4. Telecommunication * * * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj never nmlkj rarely nmlkj rather often nmlkj very often nmlkj all the time nmlkj didn't have business prior to HP LIFE training nmlkj don't remember nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful How often do you use telecommunication tools (e.g., email, Internet applications, MS Outlook, Skype) in your business? 4. Telecommunication (continued) In your business, do you use telecommunication tools for… (select all that apply) * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc Market research gfedc Communication (with clients, with staff) gfedc General marketing gfedc Marketing--website gfedc Marketing--blogging gfedc Marketing--social networking gfedc General operations gfedc Manage contact list gfedc Manage schedules gfedc Manage staff gfedc Other Please specify "other" Which features of telecommunication tools do you use for your business? (select all that apply) How have you used telecommunications tools (e.g., Internet, social media) to strengthen your business? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the telecommunication tools you are using? How important is your knowledge of telecommunication tools for the success of your business? * * gfedc calendar functions gfedc tasks functions gfedc Internet search engine gfedc videoconferencing gfedc wiki gfedc social networking gfedc other gfedc researching new markets gfedc marketing business or products gfedc learning about competitors gfedc networking with other businesses or funders gfedc recruiting staff gfedc learning about funding gfedc receiving mentoring or other business support gfedc other Other (please specify) nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important If you had your business prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you use telecommunications tools for your business operations? Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of telecommunication tools you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about telecommunication tools, how useful did you find them? 5. Databases * * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj never nmlkj rarely nmlkj rather often nmlkj very often nmlkj all the time nmlkj didn’t have my business prior to HP LIFE nmlkj don't remember nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful How often do you use databases (e.g., MS Access, LibreOffice Base, SQL) in your business? 5. Databases (continued) In your business, do you use databases for… (select all that apply) Which features of databases do you use for your business? (select all that apply) * Entrepreneur Technology Utilization nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc Operations (e.g. manage inventory, client lists, purchase histories) gfedc Finances--manage sales/invoices gfedc Finances--expense tracking/cash flow projection gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc planning data structure gfedc naming fields gfedc setting field attributes gfedc entering and editing data gfedc sorting data gfedc filtering data gfedc querying data gfedc merging data gfedc creating and printing reports gfedc other Please specify "other" How comfortable are you with the database software you are using? How important is your knowledge of database software for the success of your business? If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about databases, how useful did you find them? Overall, to what extent do you find STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training you took relevant for your business or job? How well do you think STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training you took addresses the needs of young people starting/growing a business in your community? Entrepreneur Other * * nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj Not relevant at all nmlkj Some of it is relevant nmlkj Most of it is relevant nmlkj All of it is relevant nmlkj not well nmlkj some needs addressed well nmlkj most needs addressed well nmlkj all needs are addressed well nmlkj not sure How useful did you find face-to-face interaction with the HP LIFE trainer in helping you learn? How useful did you find practical exercises using a computer in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE games in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE tips, blogs and other online tools in helping you learn? nmlkj was not useful nmlkj some of it was useful nmlkj most of it was useful nmlkj all of it was useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful Beyond learning about using technology, in what ways have you found STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training beneficial? (select all that apply) If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about entrepreneurship, how useful did you find them? Which features of HP LIFE website do you find particularly useful? (select all that apply) * * Entrepreneur Other gfedc mentoring gfedc interaction with other trainees gfedc new business contacts gfedc new business ideas gfedc encouragement to create/grow a business gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful gfedc Online games gfedc Tips about running a business gfedc Tips on using technology gfedc Tips about marketing gfedc Blogs gfedc Success stories gfedc other Please specify "other" What are other technological tools for your business you would like to learn more about? (select all that apply) What non-technological skills would you like to learn more about for your business? (select all that apply) What industry do you work in now? Employed Background Information gfedc none gfedc website design gfedc desktop publishing gfedc accounting software gfedc data security gfedc computer networking gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc communication gfedc public speaking gfedc conflict resolution gfedc networking gfedc management gfedc team building gfedc leadership skills gfedc marketing and sales gfedc other Other (please specify) nmlkj Services nmlkj Manufacturing nmlkj Farming nmlkj Trade What kind of job do you have? How long have you been employed? What was your average MONTHLY income prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET￾IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? Did your income increase as a result of your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? 1. Text Processing Software years months $ Dollars a month * Employed Technology Utilization nmlkj professional nmlkj manager nmlkj office clerk nmlkj labor/menial jobs nmlkj vendor/seller nmlkj security nmlkj teacher nmlkj driver nmlkj other nmlkj income stayed the same nmlkj decreased nmlkj increased a little (1-5%) nmlkj increased somewhat (6-10%) nmlkj increased significantly (11-20%) nmlkj increased very significantly (more than 20%) nmlkj not sure How often do you use text processing software (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer or similar) in your job? 1. Text Processing Software (continued) Which features of text processing software did you use? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the text processing software you are using? How important is your knowledge of text processing software for the success of your job? * Employed Technology Utilization * * nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it gfedc Creating and opening documents gfedc Using print options gfedc Formatting text, paragraphs, and pages gfedc Cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting text gfedc Inserting and formatting flow charts gfedc Inserting and formatting tables gfedc Inserting and formatting graphs gfedc Inserting and formatting images gfedc Other nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use text processing software? Please estimate how much of what you now know about text processing software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about text processing software, how useful did you find them? 2. Spreadsheets How often do you use spreadsheets (e.g., MS Excel, LibreOffice Calc or similar) in your job? * * Employed Technology Utilization * nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj Did not use them nmlkj Used but did not find useful nmlkj Some of them were useful nmlkj Most of them were useful nmlkj All of them were useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it 2. Spreadsheets (continued) How often do you use spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc or similar) in your job? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the spreadsheets software you are using? How important is your knowledge of spreadsheet software for the success of your job? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use spreadsheets software? Employed Technology Utilization * * * gfedc Creating and opening spreadsheets gfedc Entering and editing data gfedc Creating charts gfedc Creating formulas gfedc Using functions gfedc Sorting data gfedc Filtering data gfedc Setting cell attributes gfedc Other nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of spreadsheets you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about spreadsheets, how useful did you find them? 3. Presentations How often do you use presentation software (e.g., LibreOffice Impress, MS PowerPoint or similar) in your job? 3. Presentations (continued) * Employed Technology Utilization * Employed Technology Utilization nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it Which features of presentation software do you use? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the presentation software you are using? How important is your knowledge of presentation software for the success of your job? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use presentation software? * * * gfedc Creating presentations with text gfedc Creating presentations with graphics (e.g., flowchart) gfedc Inserting photo gfedc Inserting audio gfedc Inserting video gfedc Adjusting styles to suit the audience gfedc Other nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient Please estimate how much of what you now know about the use of presentation software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about presentations, how useful did you find them? 4. Telecommunication How often do you use telecommunication tools (e.g., email, Internet applications, MS Outlook, Skype) in your job? 4. Telecommunication (continued) * Employed Technology Utilization * Employed Technology Utilization nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it Which features of telecommunication tools do you use? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the telecommunication tools you are using? How important is your knowledge of telecommunication tools for the success of your job? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know to use telecommunications tools? * * * gfedc calendar functions gfedc tasks functions gfedc Internet search engine gfedc videoconferencing gfedc wiki gfedc social networking gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of telecommunication tools you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about telecommunication tools, how useful did you find them? 5. Databases How often do you use databases (e.g., MS Access, LibreOffice Base, SQL) in your job? 5. Databases (continued) * Employed Technology Utilization * Employed Technology Utilization nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj daily nmlkj weekly nmlkj monthly nmlkj more rarely nmlkj don’t use it Which features of databases do you use? (select all that apply) How comfortable are you with the database software you are using? How important is your knowledge of database software for your success in your job? Overall, to what extent do you find STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training you took relevant for your job? * Employed Other * gfedc planning data structure gfedc naming fields gfedc setting field attributes gfedc entering and editing data gfedc sorting data gfedc filtering data gfedc querying data gfedc merging data gfedc creating and printing reports gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj Not relevant at all nmlkj Some of it is relevant nmlkj Most of it is relevant nmlkj All of it is relevant How well do you think STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training you took addresses the needs of young people in your community? How useful did you find face-to-face interaction with the HP LIFE trainer in helping you learn? How useful did you find practical exercises using a computer in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE games in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE tips, blogs and other online tools in helping you learn? * nmlkj Not well nmlkj Some needs addressed well nmlkj Most needs addressed well nmlkj All needs are addressed well nmlkj not sure nmlkj was not useful nmlkj some of it was useful nmlkj most of it was useful nmlkj all of it was useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful Beyond learning about using technology, in what ways have you found STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training beneficial? (select all that apply) If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about entrepreneurship, how useful did you find them? Which features of HP LIFE website do you find particularly useful? (select all that apply) * Employed Other gfedc mentoring gfedc interaction with other trainees gfedc new business contacts gfedc new business ideas gfedc encouragement to create/grow a business gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful gfedc Online games gfedc tips about running a business gfedc tips on using technology gfedc tips about marketing gfedc blogs gfedc success stories gfedc other Please specify "other" What are other technological tools you would like to learn more about? (select all that apply) What non-technological skills would you like to learn more about? (select all that apply) Are you looking for a job or trying to start a business now? Job Seeker/Business Startup Background Information Job Seeker Background Information gfedc website design gfedc desktop publishing gfedc accounting software gfedc data security gfedc computer networking gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc communication gfedc public speaking gfedc conflict resolution gfedc networking gfedc management gfedc team building gfedc leadership skills gfedc marketing and sales gfedc other Please specify "other" nmlkj Yes, looking for a job nmlkj Yes, trying to start a business nmlkj No What kind of job are you looking for? (select all that apply) What kind of support would you benefit from in starting a business? (select all that apply) In what industry are you looking for a job or trying to start a business? (select all that apply) Business Startup Background Data Job Seeker/Business Startup Background Information gfedc professional gfedc manager gfedc office clerk gfedc labor/menial jobs gfedc vendor/seller gfedc security gfedc teacher gfedc driver gfedc other gfedc any gfedc Developing a business plan gfedc Obtaining a capital gfedc Assisting with business registration gfedc Finding business premises gfedc Developing a marketing plan gfedc Identifying suppliers gfedc Attracting customers gfedc Other Please specify "other" gfedc Services gfedc Manufacturing gfedc Farming gfedc Trade How long have you been looking for a job or trying to start a business? What was your average MONTHLY income prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET￾IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? Did your income increase as a result of your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? 1. Text Processing Software How comfortable are you with the text processing software (Microsoft Word, LibreOffice Writer or similar)? How important are your skills to use text processing software to be considered for a job of your choice or in starting your business? Number of months $ Dollars a month * Job Seeker/Business Startup Technology Utilization * * nmlkj income stayed the same nmlkj decreased nmlkj increased a little (1-5%) nmlkj increased somewhat (6-10%) nmlkj increased significantly (11-20%) nmlkj increased very significantly (more than 20%) nmlkj not sure nmlkj do not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use text processing software? Please estimate how much of what you now know about text processing software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about text processing software, how useful did you find them? 2. Spreadsheets How comfortable are you with the spreadsheets software (Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc or similar)? * * Job Seeker/Business Startup Technology Utilization * nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj not useful at all nmlkj somewhat useful nmlkj rather useful nmlkj very useful nmlkj do not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient How important are your skills to use spreadsheets to be considered for a job of your choice or in starting your business? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use spreadsheets software? Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of spreadsheets you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about spreadsheets, how useful did you find them? 3. Presentations * * * Job Seeker/Business Startup Technology Utilization nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful How comfortable are you with using presentation software (LibreOffice Impress, MS PowerPoint or similar)? How important are your skills to use presentation software to be considered for a job of your choice or in starting your business? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know how to use presentation software? Please estimate how much of what you now know about the use of presentation software you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training * * * * nmlkj do not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about presentations, how useful did you find them? 4. Telecommunication How comfortable are you with using telecommunication tools (email, Internet applications, MS Outlook, Skype, etc)? How important are your skills to use telecommunication tools to be considered for a job of your choice or in starting your business? Prior to your participation in STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training, did you know to use telecommunications tools? Job Seeker/Business Startup Technology Utilization * * * nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful nmlkj do not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj did not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient Please estimate how much of what you know about the use of telecommunication tools you learned from STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about telecommunication tools, how useful did you find them? What telecommunication tools do you use in searching for a job or in starting your business? (select all that apply) 5. Databases How comfortable are you with using databases (e.g., MS Access, LibreOffice Base, SQL)? * Job Seeker/Business Startup Technology Utilization nmlkj nothing nmlkj a little nmlkj some nmlkj quite a lot nmlkj all that I know nmlkj not sure nmlkj did not use nmlkj tried it but nothing was useful nmlkj some resources were useful nmlkj most resources were useful nmlkj all resources were useful gfedc Browsing internet for job openings or market opportunities gfedc Social networking (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.) gfedc Emailing resume to potential employers gfedc Other Please specify "other" nmlkj do not know at all nmlkj just started learning nmlkj doing well with basic functions nmlkj use some advanced functions nmlkj completely proficient How important are your skills to use database software to be considered for a job of your choice or in starting your business? Overall, to what extent do you find HP LIFE training relevant for your business or job needs? How well do you think STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training you took addresses the needs of young people starting/growing a business in your community? How useful did you find face-to-face interaction with the HP LIFE trainer in helping you learn? * Job Seeker/Business Startup Other * * nmlkj not important nmlkj somewhat important nmlkj very important nmlkj critically important nmlkj Not relevant at all nmlkj Some of it is relevant nmlkj Most of it is relevant nmlkj All of it is relevant nmlkj Not well nmlkj Some needs addressed well nmlkj Most needs addressed well nmlkj All needs are addressed well nmlkj not sure nmlkj was not useful nmlkj some of it was useful nmlkj most of it was useful nmlkj all of it was useful How useful did you find practical exercises using a computer in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE games in helping you learn? How useful did you find online HP LIFE tips, blogs and other online tools in helping you learn? Beyond learning about using technology, in what ways have you found STSB/MAP, GET￾IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training beneficial? (select all that apply) nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful gfedc mentoring gfedc interaction with other trainees gfedc new business contacts gfedc new business ideas gfedc encouragement to create/grow a business gfedc none gfedc other Please specify "other" If you used HP LIFE online resources for learning about entrepreneurship, how useful did you find them? Which features of HP LIFE website do you find particularly useful? (select all that apply) What are other technological tools for your job or business you would like to learn more about? (select all that apply) Job Seeker/Business Startup Other nmlkj did not use them nmlkj tried them but did not find them useful nmlkj some of them were useful nmlkj most of them were useful nmlkj all of them were useful gfedc online games gfedc tips about running a business gfedc tips on using technology gfedc tips about marketing gfedc blogs gfedc success stories gfedc other Please specify "other" gfedc none gfedc website design gfedc desktop publishing gfedc accounting software gfedc data security gfedc computer networking gfedc none gfedc other Other (please specify) What are some non-technological skills would you like to learn more about that would help you succeed? (select all that apply) Thank you for completing our survey! If you would like to be entered in a lottery to win an HP notebook computer, please enter your name and contact information below. This information will only be used to identifier the winner of the lottery, and will not be shared with anyone. Your responses will be anonymous and will be analyzed together with responses of other people. Good luck! CLOSING SCREEN Name: E-mail address: Phone: gfedc communication gfedc public speaking gfedc conflict resolution gfedc networking gfedc management gfedc team building gfedc leadership skills gfedc marketing and sales gfedc other Please specify "other" HP LIFE EVALUATION: Interview Protocol with Trainers 1. What are the modules of the curriculum that you most frequently teach? 2. How long have you been an HP LIFE trainer? (including previous versions of the curriculum: STSB and GET-IT) 3. Please tell me about your participants: 3.1. What is their background, on average? (age, education, gender, socio-economic status) 3.2. what do they do? (entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, employed, unemployed) 3.3. what strengths do they bring to the training? what weaknesses? 4. In your opinion, how well does the curriculum address your participants' needs? 4.1. which needs are addressed well? 4.2. which needs are not addressed well? 4.3. what in your opinion works well in the curriculum for your participants? (computer exercises, website resources, in-class discussions, etc.) 5. What challenges do you experience teaching this curriculum? (too difficult/too easy for participants; too much reliance on the Internet; content not relevant; etc.) 6. Did you integrate HP LIFE curriculum with other curriculum your center is using? (If yes) What challenges have you experienced integrating HP LIFE curriculum with other curricula? 7. Please tell me about one participant of your training for whom the training was particularly beneficial. Please give as many details as you can. 8. Would you like to share anything else about the curriculum? HP LIFE EVALUATION: Focus Group Protocol with Current Participants 1. Please tell me a little bit about yourselves. 1.1. How old are you? [FG moderator records ages and gender] 1.2. Do you have your own business now or are you employed (or looking for a job)? 1.2.1. [for those who have a business] what kind of business do you have? 2. Which module(s) of the curriculum are you taking? 3. Please share your impression of the training. 3.1. Overall, do you think it is relevant for your needs? 3.1.1. Do you feel you are learning what you need to know about using technology? 3.1.2. Do you feel you are learning what you need to know about entrepreneurship? 3.2. Did you use HP LIFE resources on the internet? If yes - what resources did you use and what did you learn from them? (resources include online games, tips, blogs, success stories) 4. Why did you decide to participate in this training? Did you have any specific objective (something specific you felt you needed to learn in order to advance your business or your career)? 4.1. [for those who said yes] Please describe your expectations. 4.2. Is the training meeting your expectations so far? 4.3. [for all] Please describe how you will use the knowledge that you are acquiring. 5. Is there anything you would like to add regarding your experience with STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training? HP LIFE EVALUATION: Interview Protocol with Past Participants 1. Please tell me a little bit about yourself. 1.1. Just a few words about yourself: 1.1.1. How old are you? 1.1.2.Where are you from? 1.1.3.What education do you have? 1.1.4.What hopes and ideas for the future do you have? 1.2. Where were you in life when you started STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training (had a business, was employed, was unemployed)? 1.3. Do you have your own business now or are you employed (or looking for a job)? 1.3.1. [if has a business] what kind of business do you have? 1.3.2. [if has a business] How did you become an entrepreneur? 1.3.3. How did the training help you with what you do? 2. Please tell me about your experience with STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training. 2.1. Which module(s) of the curriculum did you take? 2.2. Do you recall how many hours total did your training take? 3. Please share your impression of the program. 3.1. Overall, did it fit your needs? 3.2. What was one most important thing that you took away from the training (some particular skill? increased self-confidence? new contacts? new ideas? 3.2.1. What was the most useful thing you learned about using technology? 3.2.2. What was the most useful thing you learned about entrepreneurship? 3.3. Did you use HP LIFE resources on the internet? If yes - what resources did you use and what did you learn from them? (resources include online games, tips, blogs, success stories) 4. Going back - why did you decide to participate in this training? Did you have any specific objective (something specific you felt you needed to learn in order to advance your business or your career)? 4.1. If yes - please describe your expectations. 4.2. Did the training meet your expectations? Please describe. 4.3. Please describe how you use the knowledge that you acquired. 5. Is there anything you would like to add regarding your experience with STSB/MAP, GET-IT/T-Tools or HP LIFE training?