Evaluation Terms of Reference Evaluation of the United Nations Development Account 12th tranche “Global Initiative towards post-Covid-19 resurgence of the MSME sector” (2023W)
The COVID-19 crisis is plunging the global economy into a deep recession and micro, small and medium enterprises – which play a major role in emerging economies – are amongst the hardest hit. Trapped in economic stagnation due to large-scale lockdowns, millions of MSMEs have become the most vulnerable to COVID-19 within the private sector. Compared with large firms, small businesses have fewer resources and lower capacities to cope with the abrupt economic shocks economies are currently facing. With more than two-thirds of the global population employed by MSMEs, the unprecedented outbreak of the pandemic has vividly shown how tightly their activities are woven into the economic and social fabric of the world, as well as their critical role in social and economic resurgence. The objective of the project is to develop and implement capacity-building tools for governments and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to facilitate the resurgence and strengthen the resilience of MSMEs in developing countries and economies in transition. These capacity-building tools will seek to mitigate the economic and social impact of the global COVID-19 crisis and to facilitate the contribution of MSMEs to the SDGs implementation.