Client: eThekwini (Durban) Municipality
The purpose of this comprehensive evaluation (formative and summative) was to conduct an impact evaluation of the following nine Cluster Initiatives which have received, and continue to receive, funding and other support from the Ethekwini Municipality: Economic Development and Investment Promotion Unit and/or Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Government: Department of Economic Development and Tourism: Durban Automotive Cluster; Durban Chemicals Cluster; eThekwini Maritime Cluster; eThekwini Materials Recovery Cluster; KZN Clothing and Textile Cluster; KZN Arts and Craft Cluster; KZN Fashion Council KZN Furniture Initiative Cluster; KZN Tooling and metals Initiative. Specific purposes of this evaluation were to understand the value and selected impacts of Cis on the cluster members, clusters, local/regional economy, develop recommendations to enhance the effectiveness & efficiency of Cis and inform the prioritisation & nature of government support to Cis. A Cluster Initiative Evaluation and Benchmarking Model was developed based on an extensive literature review and Impact Economix’s experience in managing Cluster Initiatives. This identified key cluster initiative performance areas and 45 evaluation questions. This informed stakeholder interview frameworks and survey instruments for cluster initiative member and non-member firms. An internet based (using survey monkey) survey of these firms was conducted and the number of firm respondents to the Member survey was 117 and 130 for non-members. Recommendations were formulated to strengthen Cluster Initiative strategies, governance, and implementation.
