AEO DEVELOPING STANDARDS TO PROMOTE BEST PRACTICES AND SUSTAINABILITY

The Association for Enterprise Opportunity, under the leadership of the Microenterprise Standards and Accreditation Project (MSAP), has developed standards for the microenterprise development industry. A DRAFT of these standards was presented and reviewed at the 2004 AEO Conference in Philadelphia.

The field has helped hundreds of thousands of low-income people to start microenterprises, but the field lacks universally adopted outcome measures and quality standards for acceptable performance. These common measurements and standards will be needed if the field is to make an effective case for continued and expanded public and private support.

The value and benefit of a standards and compliance system, according to AEO, is that it : (1) provides existing organizations with a process for conducting self-evaluation; (2) provides a "blue print' for organizations interested in developing a micro program; (3) provides programs that achieve accreditation with greater credibility and recognition; and (4) provides funders with reassurance that they are investing in quality programs.

AEO shared that the focus of the standards is to measure behaviors. They view MicroTest as the entity to collect numbers. Micro programs are encouraged to review the draft and make recommendations.