Results of BIZ evaluation show excellent results
23 January 2001 Media Statement
Results of BIZ evaluation show excellent results
"The BIZ and BIZinfo schemes are really helping Kiwi business, but new research shows us some changes may be needed", said Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton.
"Over 31,000 people and 7,000 businesses have been supported and this evaluation shows that BIZ works but can work better. The Government is assessing the programme to make changes which will be announced early this year.
A seven volume evaluation of the BIZ and BIZinfo programmes that advise and assist business was released today.
"This is the most comprehensive evaluation carried out on a New Zealand industry assistance programme, and it will be invaluable in looking at ways this Labour Alliance Coalition Government can tune the jobs machine to create sustainable employment and businesses," said Jim Anderton.
The full
results are available on the Ministry of Economic
Development website.
BIZ has two streams: -
a general information service available to everyone through
call centres and local BIZ shops and
a
management upskilling stream targeted at improving the
skills of managers of small and medium businesses.
The evaluation was carried out by an independent consortium made up of BERL (Business and Economic Research Ltd), the National Research Bureau, and the New Zealand Centre for SME Research at Massey University.
The research which ended
up as seven volumes covered:
a survey of 800
small and medium businesses throughout NZ on their awareness
of the BIZ programme and its services;
interviews with 32 of the 44 BIZ providers on the
programme;
interviews with 800 clients of the
BIZ programme;
a mystery shopper survey of the
BIZ call centres and BIZ shops;
a review of the
contract management and administration of the programme by
MED; and
a set of in-depth interviews with
groups of Maori and Pacific peoples who had used BIZ
services.