Although millions of dollars are spent by international donor organizations on training program in developing countries, few studies have been conducted to determine the long-term impacts of such programs. A unique graduate program entrepreneurship education was conducted in Kenya between 1990 and 1992, funded by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and executed by the International Labor Organization (ILO). Faculty from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) taught the entrepreneurship education courses in Nairobi.
The research study sought to determine the long-term impact of the graduate program on the careers of the participants in Kenya. Thirty-four participants completed the program and received a Master's of Education degree. The primary objective of the program was to prepare a cadre of administrators and trainers to become specialists in teaching and administering entrepreneurship education programs in Kenya.
The study was conducted eleven years after the program was completed. Sixteen participants of the program, three policy-making officials of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and two local implementers of the program participated in this qualitative research study. They provided relevant information through a self-report questionnaire and in-dept interviews.
The study found that: (a) the program significantly impacted the careers of the participants; some participants experienced mid-career changes and others advanced in their careers; (b) as teachers and consultants, the participants indirectly contributed to the development of an "enterprise culture" in Kenya; (c) the participants formed a national cadre of expertise and initiated many new programs in entrepreneurship education; and (d) some taught entrepreneurship education at college and university level.
The research study underscored the need for long-term impact assessment of development programs. From the perspective of the participants, there is need to determine the effect of an education program on the individual participants as well as on the society regarding the long-term intended and unintended outcomes. The findings of this research study might be useful in developing an entrepreneurship education model for other countries in Africa.
