Ecommerce in West Africa (2012-2015)

Results

Summary of results

During the 3-year period, 2013 – 2015, that Development Account project 1213J run in West Africa, TRAINFORTRADE managed to provide training, with the aim of enhancing the capacity of beneficiary states, to 894 participants (21% female) of which 684 were directly funded by the project. Based on results and proportional representation, 200 qualifying participants (25% female) attended Face-to-face workshops where they further explored topics that were covered in the distance learning components of the programme. The project was deemed timely by many of the beneficiaries including the ECOWAS secretariat which further requested that the project be expanded to cover the remaining member states to help it with its own drive to achieve the harmonization of e-Commerce laws within the entire region.

In using the blended learning approach, the project successfully reached a higher number of beneficiaries within a restricted budget albeit in a timely manner. Likewise, through the employment of e-Learning, the project successfully targeted and delivered training through a coup d’Etat in Burkina Faso and the Ebola outbreak that disrupted travel in the region. The project also laid the foundations for sustainability through the training and use of local technical tutors that were provided with the skills and technologies to manage the local deliveries and the abilities to independently replicate the project in the future.

The independent evaluation of the project concluded that the project was highly efficiency and relevant, effective in line with the means, scope and duration, and that while it is too early to assess the long term impact and sustainability, the immediate outcomes are very promising.