Value Chains for Jobs Estimation
Overview and Survey Instrument
1. Introduction – why value chains for estimating jobs?
Value chains have become an increasingly important channel through which development challenges and
solutions are both analyzed (value chain analysis) and implemented (value chain development initiatives).
This due partly to: i) their specificity and impact, in contrast to economy wide interventions that often have
dispersed effects and long lead times; and ii) the relative ease through which key actors can be identified and
mobilized. They are also attractive as entry point because they offer the potential to leverage large-scale job
creation that can span from high-skilled, formal employment in globally-competitive lead firms to quality,
sustainable earning opportunities for low-skilled self-employed or smallholders. Indeed, it is precisely in
linking these two worlds – of globally competitive lead firms and microenterprises – and in linking
competitiveness and productivity growth to jobs and earnings, where value chains become so useful for the
policymaker and development practitioner.
Taking a whole value chain approach can also help us to estimate better how investments and other
interventions are likely to impact jobs. By tracing the linkages, both vertical and horizontal, among firms in a
value chain it is possible to gain a richer understanding of the dynamics that shape job creation and
destruction, as well as how changes in a value chain are likely to impact the quality of jobs, the nature of skills
demand, and the inclusiveness of job creation.
In this note, we outline how to use a value chains analysis approach to support jobs estimation through a
methodology that relies on carrying out value chain surveys complemented by some secondary research as
well as semi-structured and focus group interviews. We recognize that this is a relatively time and resourceintensive approach to jobs estimation, but believe the approach has the potential to improve upon current
techniques and, eventually, to develop a database of standard estimates at the sector / value chain level.
The use of standard input-output tables to develop multipliers is relatively fast and simple, and will be
sufficient in many situations where ‘back of the envelope’ estimates are all that is needed. But input-output
tables are not always available, and they are frequently out of date and produced at very high levels of
aggregation that lose any sectoral nuance. Most importantly, input-output tables are blunt instruments for
measuring jobs as they fail to capture the dynamics that shape firms’ decisions to expand, hire, and use labor.
Taking the example of the Ethiopian leather footwear value chain illustrated in Figure 1, existing input-output
data is unlikely to capture the large segment of the value chain that is informal. It may also not capture the
fact that while the domestic footwear sector is linked back through the value chain to hides and cattle, the
export-oriented part of the sector, where investments by IFIs are likely to focus, has little or no links to any
part of the domestic value chain. Nor will it shed light on how domestic firms that are successful in linking to
the global value chain typically experience substantial output growth but change significantly their
production structure to be more capital and skills intensive.
Moreover, if we want to understand employment dynamics not simply to count (ex post) or estimate (ex
ante) jobs but also to understand how and where to focus efforts to help create more and better jobs, then
richer instruments like value chain analysis will be needed. In this context, we distinguish among three
different possible objectives for using the value chain approach:
1. Value chain development: Understanding value chain opportunities, challenges, and dynamics in
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order to identify interventions designed to support job creation and earnings enhancement in value
chains, with a particular focus on integrating microenterprises into competitive value chains. For this
objective, please see a detailed, separate Guidance Note – “Jobs in Value Chains: A Guidance Note
for Assessing the Opportunities and Requirements for Job Creation and Earnings Growth in Value
Chains”
2. Comprehensive value chain jobs estimation: Understanding value chain dynamics to estimate how
investments and other interventions in the value chain will impact jobs (level, quality, inclusiveness)
3. Investment-specific jobs estimation: Estimating how investment in a specific firm will impact jobs by
tracing its relationships through the value chain.
Numbers 2 and 3 above are covered in this note and the accompanying survey instrument.
Figure 1: Value chain example: Ethiopia leather footwear value chain
Source: derived from Brautigam, Tang, and McMillan (2011); Ethiopia Central Statistics Agency
2. Basic overview of the analytical approach
The relationship between investment to support the development of a value chain or of a specific firm in a
value chain and job creation is complex. There are direct and indirect effects that stem from improved
competitiveness and growth that ripple through the value chain. There are also effects that come through
productivity gains, technology and knowledge spillovers, changes in formalization, and other channels. These
latter effects are particularly difficult to capture and end up relying extensively on modelling. For ex ante jobs
estimation, therefore, we focus on the former effects. Specifically, the emphasis is on understanding the
following:
1. Markets and competitive environment: This involves identifying how the market is structured in order
to understand how changes among certain actors of the value chain are likely to impact others. Many
of the issues will be integrated into the discussion of supply chains and production structures, but it
will also seek to understand the nature of domestic competition and the positioning of the domestic
value chain relative to foreign participants (suppliers, markets, lead firms). This has implications for
how changes are likely to flow through the value chain. For example if Company A has $10 million in
sales and sources all their inputs domestically, then suddenly has an opportunity to get a $5m
contract with a lead firm – does this mean that they will have $15m in sales with all domestic
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sourcing? Or will they still sell $10m and just stop supplying other customers? Will they be required
to source foreign inputs to serve their new lead firm customer (see ‘Supply chain relationships’
below)?
2. Workforce: This involves identifying the structure of the current workforce of relevant or typical firms
at each stage of the value chain and the barriers to expanding the workforce. It requires an
understanding of:
 How the structure of the workforce is shaped by market dynamics and regulatory issues
 How technology interacts with the workforce and impacts size, skills demand, wages, etc.
 How growth and the nature of market opportunities impacts firm decisions on the size
and nature of the workforce
 How skills availability and gaps impacts jobs outcomes
3. Production structure: This involves identifying the production structure of the firm, including the
relative use of labor, capital, and other inputs and the relationship between outputs and labor use.
Issues covered include:
 Cost structure of production – this is perhaps the most fundamental issue to understand
across the value chain, as it determines the likelihood of firm’s being able to access and
maintain their competitive position in the chain.
 How output growth would impact the use of labor (skilled and unskilled) and capital
4. Supply chain relationships: This involves identifying the current supply chain links and the
opportunities and barriers to deepening local links. This is critical for understanding the multiplier
effect in the value chain. Key issues to understand include:
 Sourcing and distribution strategies for key goods and services inputs
 Expenditure on key inputs
 How growth, changes in markets, and changing technologies impact sourcing
 Barriers to local sourcing
As discussed above, these questions will be answered by carrying out a survey in the value chain and
complementing this with some basic secondary research (conducted up front) and targeted, semi-structured
interviews and focus groups (as needed) to gaining a more in-depth qualitative understanding.
3. Mapping the value chain and sampling
It almost never possible nor is cost effective to collect survey data from every firm and actor in the value
chain (i.e. a census). For this reason, the standard approach is to instead draw a sample of firms with whom
the survey will be implemented. Effective sampling is the key to successful jobs estimation using a survey
approach. Quite simply, the greater the sampling error the more likely the jobs estimation will be significantly
misidentified. Sampling is also the most challenging part of the process, because comprehensive information
on the firms present in the market will be unavailable in many countries. This is particularly true where a
significant element of the value chain is informal.
Developing the value chain map
Therefore, the critical first part of the process is to develop a value chain map that is as accurate and
comprehensive as possible. A value chain map is an illustrative way of describing the structure and actors
involved in bringing the product or service from its basic raw materials through final consumption. The value
chain map will help to structure the enumeration of the population and identify various strata for the analysis.
Even if you are intending to trace the impacts of investment in a lead firm that is already identified, it will
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still be important to establish the value chain map in order to understand the breadth and depth of
potential impact.
Unless the local value chain has already been mapped, it is often best to start with a typical global map of
the value chain in question (a ‘generic value chain map’), and then adjust it to reflect the structure of the
local chain. The initial mapping should aim to identify:
 The basic structure of the value chain
 The approximate number of market players in each part of the chain
 Identification of main companies in the chain and the nature of firms (SME v large, formal v
informal, domestic v FDI), as well as key institutions supporting the value chain
Potential data sources for developing the value chain maps include:
 Previous value chain and sector studies (global for the generic structure; national for specific)
 National and sectoral statistics
 Industry associations (websites, studies)
 Consultations with stakeholders
Sampling- enumerating the population
The first step in sampling is to define the target population in as clear and complete a way as possible. In
value chain analysis the principal target population are businesses (including formal and informal businesses
and farms). Surveying business populations leads to distinct sample frame challenges. Businesses greatly vary
in size, are often highly dynamic, and can be identified as a legal entity ‘firms/enterprises’ or physically as
‘establishments’ based on location. Especially in developing countries, informality adds to the challenges as
official records and documentation on informal businesses are usually lacking or incomplete. Consequently,
when sampling for value chain analysis it is important to have a precise definition of the unit of analysis
considering its implications on subsequent stages including the generation of a sampling frame. Specifically
here it is important to be clear about:

Vertical scope of the chain – where does it begin and end? In most cases, teams will want to survey
all stages of value addition in the product / service, from basic inputs through to final sale and
disposal / recycling. However, in some cases the focus may be on processing and backward and there
will be less interest in forward distribution stages, especially if these are happening in export markets.
Similarly if the main basic inputs in the chain are always going to be imported, it may be less necessary
to survey at this stage. However, wherever there is existing activity or scope for activity in the vertical
chain within the country, the survey will be important to carry out for purposes of jobs estimation.

Horizontal scope of the chain: While the value chain strictly covers vertical stages of activity where
actors at each stage add value to the product or service, value chains impact a wider set of actors. In
particular, there are related and supporting activities that are involved in all value chains – including
supply chain and support services such as transport and logistics, financial and business services;
research; training, etc. – whose employment will be affected by dynamics in the core value chain.
The team will need to decide where to draw the line in defining the actors to be included in the
survey. In general, we propose to survey only core actors in the vertical chain, although we will be
interested to document these core actors’ links (and potential links) to a broad set of supply chain
actors. A comprehensive approach within the survey would involve identifying supply chain
expenditures for products and services that represent the large majority (e.g. more than 80 percent)
of expenditure by firms at each level of the value chain1. A less comprehensive, but potentially more
1
In most cases, the product one stage up will account for the largest share of input costs in the next stage. So, really this is not part
of the ‘horizontal’ scope of the chain. It is the other goods and services inputs that we refer to as ‘horizontal’
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practical approach from the standpoint of survey implementation, would be to focus on the most
important 3 to 4 products and services inputs.

Defining and differentiating value chain participants: One of the most critical parts of the sampling
process for a comprehensive value chain assessment is to make sure that the surveys are not
restricted only to firms that are currently participating in the value chain. This requires identifying
firms and farms, especially small and informal ones, which may not be well documented in the sector
(see below). A second issue, which may be important for jobs estimation, is to sample to reflect that
fact that different firm characteristics may impact significantly the relative use of labor and capital
and the nature of workers required (e.g. skills levels). An open question is whether it is more
important to stratify the sample for firms that are inside versus outside the existing value chain
(particularly when the approach is to follow the value chain of an individual lead firm) or whether the
more important distinction is around firm size, particularly medium and large firms versus small and
micro (including informal) firms.
Developing the sample – sampling frame and sampling
Upon the definition of research questions and the target population, the sampling frame needs to be
generated and a mix of random sampling techniques needs to be applied. This is the most challenging part
of the exercise, particularly for value chain surveys, and the most critical one to get right.
Given the multiple data availability scenarios one can think of for such an exercise, the following will focus
on three scenarios to showcase possible approaches for sampling for VCA while minimizing errors. In practice,
the VCA team will likely be confronted with a situation that is in between these extremes and be able to
adjust the approach chosen learning from the solutions that can be applied in the extreme cases:
1. Best case scenario: In this case a full sample frame is available along with data on the structural
relationship or transaction patterns between the business units of analysis. In such a case the information
will likely come from a firm census or register with all relevant business entities being formal (or informal
firms are fully identified). The approach that can be taken in such an event will be referred to as
‘summarization approach’, where the goal is to condense the network as much as possible (to a
reasonable sample size) without losing too much information in the process.
2. Worst case scenario: In this case, no data is available that enables the generation of a useful sampling
frame and furthermore no data is available that informs the structural relationships between the
business entities under investigation. In such a case all relevant units of analysis may be informal and
there are no sources available that provide data on the businesses and their interactions. In this extreme
situation, approaches used in Social Network Analysis (SNA), which build network maps of related firms
and stakeholders) can be helpful. A related approach, snowball sampling represents another useful
technique than can be used develop the sample. Snowball sampling is a non-random approach that
involves identifying an initial set of interviewees, and then identifying / recruiting further interviewees
based on individuals / firms identified by the interviewees. This can be particularly effective as an
approach for value chain analysis as lead firms are typically in a good position to identify firms (e.g.
suppliers) one step back in the chain, and the firms, in turn, can identify further firms on step further
back. Of course, such an approach while cost effective and practical also brings with it significant
likelihood of sampling error.
3. Middle ground or Base case scenario: In most countries and in most value chains the reality will be some
combination of the above two scenarios. In most cases some firms will be identifiable through an
enterprise census or business registry. However, there is also likely to be a microenterprise segment that
may be largely informal and for which little data is available, or where at least a significant number of
firms are not easily identifiable. In this case, some of the techniques of the ‘worst case’ scenario above
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will need to be used, but the availability of detailed information in the formal part of the sector should
provide a potential source of knowledge on the informal part. In addition, where industry associations or
other related industry bodies exist, they may well have information on informal participants in the value
chain, or can at least facilitate identifying them.
Box 1: Approaching sampling to estimate jobs for an investment in a specific firm
Where the objective is to estimate the jobs impact of an investment in a specific firm, the sampling issue may be less
of a challenge – at least at the start. Assuming that one has cooperation of the firm, it should be possible to identify
easily the existing firms (suppliers and distributors) in its value chain. In effect, in most cases a census can be carried
out (although where a firm has a large number of supply chain partners it may still be prudent to sample). Of course,
to trace the impacts through the chain it is still necessary to follow through suppliers of suppliers, but these suppliers
should, in turn, be able to be identified through the interviews with the ‘first tier’ suppliers. Essentially this entails
the ‘snowball’ sampling approach.
In preparing the sample frame, it will be necessary to determine the stratification that will needed. In the
case of value chains, we will likely want to be able to stratify by: i) the stage of the value chain; ii) firm size
category (or, as discussed above firms that are inside versus outside the value chain); and, in some cases iii)
region within the country (particularly in large countries and where there are distinct value chains operating
in different regions). With this, and the populations of these strata known, we can determine the sample size
for estimates of sample proportions – here we will adopt a strategy of a minimum of 7.5% precision with a
90% confidence interval, in line with the approach taken in the World Bank’s Enterprise Surveys. Note that
given the relatively small sample sizes that will exist in many value chains, the sample size will end up being
a relatively large proportion of the population.
Weighting
Finally, if a standard approach to sampling is likely to result in a sample that does not reflect accurately the
population characteristics (i.e. the sample frame is unable to capture what is known to be true about the
general population), then it may be necessary to weight the sample to address this. This may involve, for
example, ‘oversampling’ a particular region, or microenterprises, or women-owned enterprises. This can be
done in the surveying stage or, if not identified or acted on at that stage, even post-survey by weighting the
survey results higher for certain types of units. For example, if microenterprises are known to represent 80%
of the population in a value chain, but the survey results only resulted in 50% of responses coming from
microenterprises, the results from microenterprises could be adjusted by weighting each of them the
equivalent of 1.6 times those of other firms (0.80/0.50=1.6).
4. Surveying
The value chain survey instrument for the purpose of jobs estimation is designed to be as focused and
practical as possible. The aim is to gain a rich understanding of the dynamics of jobs in value chains. On the
other hand, it does not go into much detail on the opportunities and constraints in the value chain, the
requirements for growth and competitiveness, and touches in only a limited way on skills dynamics, training,
and firm strategies. All of this would be needed in order to go beyond jobs estimation and identify
opportunities for job creation through value chain development. As noted previously, a survey instrument
and wider guidance framework for approaching the development ‘jobs in value chains’ is provided in a
separate guidance note2.
2
Jobs in Value Chains: A Guidance Note for Assessing the Opportunities and Requirements for Job Creation and Earnings Growth in
Value Chains
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The survey instrument provided in the annex to this note is structured in four modules:
1. Firm background, markets, and competitive environment
2. Workforce
3. Production structure
4. Supply chain
Following is the proposed approach to implementing the surveys:
 It is recommended that surveys are carried out by specialist survey firms, including well-trained
enumerators with knowledge of the local context (and, of course, fluency in the relevant local
languages).
 Surveys should be carried out face-to-face. Where this is not possible, the alternative should be to
carry out the surveys by phone
 Wherever possible firms will be invited to participate in the survey through a lead firm or industry
association.
 Survey respondents should be senior managers in the firm.
 Firms should be told clearly and in writing that the data they provide will be kept anonymous and
will not be shared in any form.
 Firms should be given a contact person leading the project (i.e. not just the enumerator) that they
can follow up with if they have any questions on the survey.
Box 2: Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and secondary research
As discussed previously in this note, the surveys described above should be should be complemented by secondary
research (to be provide both quantitative and qualitative inputs) as well as semi-structured interviews with key highly
knowledgeable stakeholders who can help give critical context and depth of understanding to the results that come
from the surveys. The previously-described Guidance Note on ‘Jobs in Value Chains’ provides detailed guidance on
approaching secondary research and semi-structured as well as focus group interviewing.
5. Estimating employment impact
Finally, once the survey has been completed and the results analyzed, the final step is to use the results from
the surveys to estimate the jobs impact. This involves first establishing the relationship between an
investment (in a firm or more broadly in the value chain) and jobs – i.e. the jobs coefficient.
Determining the jobs coefficient will establishing the relationship between investment and output growth,
and then between output growth and jobs. At the moment, the survey instrument developed here is designed
to focus on the link between output and jobs. The relationship between investment and output growth is
treated as exogenous – it is assumed that this relationship is understood (assumed) by the IFIs / donors /
other parties undertaking the investment. Turning to the output and jobs relationship, the analysis will
involve estimating from the survey the average:

# of jobs in the existing supply chain: This will obviously need to be weighted according to the
respondent firms’ existing shares of supply to the lead firm being invested in (or if a value chain wide
investment, according to their relative output shares); assumptions may need to be made as to how
market shares may change as a result of the investment – this can be picked up through the semistructured interview process.

Relationship between lead firm (or overall value chain) growth and growth of different strata of firms
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in the chain: The results from the survey will establish a general relationship between output and
employment (including at different skills levels), with the stratification allowing for distinguishing
this output/employment relationship between larger firms and small firms and microenterprises.

Links between firm growth an hiring: The above relationship should also be fine-tuned by the survey
questions that establish a link between growth and: i) decisions to invest in capital versus labor
(elasticity of substitution); and/or ii) decisions not to hire or invest in capital for other reasons (e.g.
existing spare capacity, market uncertainties, lack of access to finance, etc.). Note, however, the
survey questions which address these issues explicitly are hypothetical in nature – there is a good
chance we will find in piloting the surveys that the quality of responses to such questions is poor.
Therefore, we will also look to get at this relationship through more objective questions from the
survey. For example, we should have a large number of data points (survey responses) that show
the relationship between firm output and employment (as well as the relative use of labor and
capital). Plotting all survey responses should begin to give a picture of the standardized trajectory of
the relationship between jobs and output at different levels of the value chain and for different
strata of firms.

Local supply chain expansion / contraction: The other important factor to determine the coefficient
is the share of input supplies that come through the local market. The above analysis assumed a
fixed relationship structure in the local supply chain (versus sourcing from outside the region or
country). But the investments may have a qualitative impact on the structure of the supply chain –
for example lead firms may be using the investment to upgrade in global supply chains requiring
them to source inputs from international rather than local markets; conversely, they may be using
the investments specifically to invest in building local supply chains or have established specific
targets to increase local supply chain development. Questions in the survey provide inputs that allow
for an estimation as to how the depth of the local supply chain may change.
Box 3: Defining ‘jobs’
For measuring direct employment, we use the definitions agreed by IFI’s in the recent ‘indicator harmonization’
effort. Specifically:
 Direct Employment – Operations and Maintenance: Number of full-time equivalent employees as per local
definition working for the company or project at the end of the reporting period. This includes directly hired
individuals and individuals hired through third party agencies as long as those individuals provide on-site
services related to the operations of the client company. Also, this includes full-time equivalent worked by
seasonal, contractual and part time employees. Part-time jobs are converted to full-time equivalent jobs on
a pro rata basis, based on local definition (e.g., if working week equals 40 hours, a 24 hr/week job would be
equal to 0.6 FTE job). Seasonal or short-term jobs are prorated on the basis of the portion of the reporting
period that was worked (e.g., a full-time position for three months would be equal to a 0.25 FTE job if the
reporting period is one year). If the information is not available, the rule-of-thumb is two part-time jobs
equal a full-time job.
 Direct Employment – Construction: Number of full-time equivalent construction workers employed for the
construction of the company or project's hard assets during the reporting period. Part-time jobs for
construction are converted to full-time equivalent jobs on a pro rata basis, based on local definition (e.g., if
working week equals 40 hours, a 24 hr/week job would be equal to 0.6 FTE job; a full-time position for three
months would be equal to a 0.25 FTE job if the reporting period is one year). If the information is not
available, the rule-of-thumb is two part-time jobs equal a full-time job.
Putting together these estimates from the survey results should allow for establishing a range for the jobs
estimator coefficient. This can obviously be broken down to further levels of detail, including jobs by skills
mix and gender.
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With the coefficient established, the next step is to turn this coefficient into a value chain-wide aggregate
jobs estimate. This would be done by reversing back through the sample frame developed for preparation of
the survey, using the population proportions to calculate aggregate figures for the entire value chain.
Finally, a critical question for the broader exercise is whether the estimations that we arrive at for a particular
value chain in a particular country are generalizable. When we have carried out three or four country-specific
value chain- based estimations in, for example, the poultry value chain, will we begin to converge around
some standard measures of jobs potential? Or instead will we find that value chains are highly
heterogeneous, with large variations across countries? This remains to be seen – it may well be the case in
some value chains more than in others.
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ANNEX: SURVEY INSTRUMENT
10
VALUE CHAIN ASSESSMENT
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING THIS SURVEY
This survey is a tool to help estimate the scale and nature of jobs that are linked to specific value chains.
Does this survey apply to all economic sectors?
This is a generic survey instrument. In order to maximize the usefulness of this survey, interviewers will need
to fine-tune it by adding sector-specific questions or including adjustments in existing ones.
How should the interview be conducted?
Whenever possible interviews should be carried out face-to-face or via telephone. For logistical reasons in
some cases it may be necessary to survey via email, internet, or mobile phone, but these should not be the
primary approach for the majority of interviews. Note that interviewees may not have all data available to
answer all questions, so in some cases it may be necessary to send some questions ahead of time or to followup after the initial interviews.
Who should respond to this survey?
The background information on the company and the questions around business strategy and industry-related
opportunities and challenges should be discussed with senior management of the company. Other questions,
however, may require specific functional inputs. Following is an overview of the potential respondents for each
module of the questionnaire:
Module
Firm background, markets, and competitive
environment
Workforce
Production structure
Supply chain
Respondents
Senior Management
Senior Management; Human Resources Manager
Senior Management; Production Manager
Senior
Management;
Production
Manager;
Procurement Manager; Logistics Manager
How long should the interview last?
It is expected that the interviews will last 30-45 minutes.
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VALUE CHAIN ASSESSMENT
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
INTERVIEWER: READ THE FOLLOWING TO THE RESPONDENT BEFORE CONTINUING:
All questions contained in this questionnaire are strictly confidential. Any information you share about your business will be
aggregated with others for the sole purpose of assessing job creation potential in the value chain. Neither your name nor the name of
your firm will be used in any document based on this survey.
Position(s)
within the
businesss
Name(s) of respondent(s)
(Last, First, M.I.)
Contact details:
Phone:
Email:
Fax:
GPS coordinates (decimal
format)
Latitude:
Longitude:
Date
Survey ID:
Enumerator ID:
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A.
FIRM BACKGROUND, MARKETS, AND COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT
A1. Please describe the activities of your business
Please indicate the industrial classification code
A2. Legal
structure:
See list
 Sole proprietor  Partnership  Limited liability  Corporation (publicly traded)  Multinational  Public / Stateowned
 Public-Private ownership  Cooperative  Association / partnership  Social Enterprise  Other (specify):
______________
A3. Is the business formally registered (for the purposes of paying tax and social security contributions)?
A4. Ownership
structure:
 Fully foreign owned
 Joint venture (foreign / domestic)
yes
no
 Fully domestically owned
A5. If the business has foreign ownership, what percentage is foreign-owned?
A6. If the business has foreign ownership, please specify the main countries from which the foreign ownership comes:
A7. Amongst the owners of the business are there any females ?
A8. What percentage of the firm is owned by females?
A9. When was the business founded?
When did the business start operations in the country? (Disregard if same)
A10.
When the business was founded how many full-time employees did it have?
A11.
How many full time employees did the business have in the last financial year?
A12.
Approximately what was the total sales of the business over the last financial year?
* Note: microenterprises and other businesses that do not recognize a ‘financial year’ should answer for the period covering the previous 12
months
please indicate currency
* Note: microenterprises and other businesses that do not recognize a ‘financial year’ should answer for the period covering the previous 12
months
A13. What is your business’s most important products and services (please indicate up to 3, by order of sales)? Approximately what
percentage of your total sales do these each account for?
Product / Service
% of sales in last 12 months
Distribution of sales by market
Local / national (%)
Export (%)
Other
TOTAL
100
A14. For each of the products and services listed in the question above, please indicate the share of sales that are sold to local
markets, national markets (outside the local area), and exported to international markets.
Product / Service
Local (% of sales)
Other
TOTAL
Distribution of sales by market
National (% of sales)
International (export) (%
of sales)
100%
A15. Are any of the products and services listed above highly seasonal in nature (i.e. they are sold mainly or only in certain months of
the year)? If so, please indicate peak and low months.
Product / Service
Seasonality
Peak months
Lowest months
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A16. Thinking over the past financial year, how many customers did you have?
1
2-4
5-20
21 or more
Don’t know
A17.
How would you describe your largest customer?
Individual consumer (e.g. selling in a market)
Small, individual trader or
wholesaler
Large trader or wholesaler
small or medium local processor
large local processor
international processor
Other (please specify)________________________________________
A18.
Approximately what percentage of your total sales come from your top customer?
A19.
How long have you been a supplier of your top customer?_______________ years
A20.
What is the nature of the contract that you have with your top customer? please mark most relevant
 Long-term contract (>1 year)
A21.
a.
b.
c.
d.
_________________
 Short-term contract (<1 year)  Ad hoc (no contract)  Trial contract  Don’t know
Who are your main competitors? Please rank by order of importance (1= most important)
Other firms / farmers in the local area:
Domestic national companies:
International companies:
Other (please specify:
A22. We are looking to identify other businesses in this sector that we can interview. Could please name some of the important
companies (processors, wholesalers, traders, etc.) that are current or potential customers for businesses like yours (Clarify
confidentiality)?
A23.
What are the main obstacles to increasing your sales to key customers? Please score the following criteria on a scale from 1
to 4, where 1 means “no obstacle” and 4 “severe obstacle”. If possible, please elaborate on each of the criteria
Criteria
a) Our production costs make our prices uncompetitive
Scoring
Comment
1
2
3
4
b) We are unable to meet quantity and varieties demanded
(insufficient capacity)
1
2
3
4
c) Our quality or skills are insufficient
1
2
3
4
d) We lack the technologies or information required (e.g. software,
equipment, information on market opportunities, etc)
1
2
3
4
e) We lack necessary working capital
1
2
3
4
f) We are unable to deliver on a timely basis due to market access
(transport) or communications constraints
1
2
3
4
g) We are unable to provide required business or legal information
(audited accounts, registration, etc.)
1
2
3
4
h) We do not have required certifications or are unable to meet
industry standards (please specify if possible)
1
2
3
4
i) We lack access to land
1
2
3
4
j) Other (please specify)
1
2
3
4
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B.
WORKFORCE
B1. In the last financial year how many full time workers did you employ in the business?
B2. In the last financial year how many part-time or seasonal workers did you employ in the business?
What was the
average length of their employment?
(estimate in weeks)
B3. Based on the numbers you indicated above, please estimate the number of each category of worker employed in the
business across the following categories of high and low skill positions? What is the average monthly wage in each
position?
Higher skill workers
Lower skill workers
Management
High skilled
Lower skilled
Unskilled
Clerical and other
production workers
production
production
services workers
and technicians;
workers,
workers, drivers,
high-skilled services
craftsmen
laborers
workers (workers
(workers with
with a tertiary
degree or technical
diploma)
a.)
b.)
c.)
lower degrees or
apprenticetraining)
Total full time
Total casual and
seasonal
Average monthly
wage (in local
currency units)
B4. Based on the numbers you indicated above, please estimate the percentage of each category of worker that is: a) female; b)
foreign; and c) youth (under the age of 25)
Higher skill workers
Lower skill workers
Management
High skilled
Lower skilled
Unskilled
Clerical and other
production workers
production
production
services workers
and technicians;
workers,
workers, drivers,
high-skilled services
craftsmen
laborers
workers (workers
(workers with
with a tertiary
degree or technical
diploma)
lower degrees or
apprenticetraining)
a.) % of total female
b.) % of total foreign
c.) % under age 25
B5. What are the main reasons you make use of casual or part-time labor? Please rate and describe
Rate importance (1 to 4) as a reason
for using casual / part time labor (1=
not important;4= very important)
Seasonal demands
Shift structure
Labor / skills shortage
Labor regulations
Other (please specify)
Does not apply
B6. Please indicate the degree to which the following labor issues are a barrier to the growth of your firm (1= no barrier; 2= minor
barrier; 3=substantial barrier; 4= major barrier)
Issues
Employment protection legislation / labor code and laws
Labor availability
Labor cost – overall wages
Minimum wage (if exists in the country)
Payroll taxes and social security / pension payments
Worker skills
Worker turnover (retention of staff)
Rating
Comments
B7. In the past 3 years have you tried to hire any of the following workers? Please mark all that apply
defined in Q B3)
High skill
Low skill (as
15
B8. Did you encounter any of the following problems in trying to hire for this position(s)? Please mark all that apply
There were no
Applicants
Applicants
Applicants
Applicants did
Other (please
or few
lacked required
lacked required
expected too
not like working specify)
applicants
skills
experience
high pay
conditions
High skill
Low skill
B9. What did you do as a result of these problems?
We eventually
We did not hire
found the right
at all
staff
High Skill
Low Skill
Please mark the most relevant response for each of High Skill and Low Skill
We hired fewer
than we
needed
We hired a
different skill and
trained them
B10. Do you face any additional challenges in trying to hire female employees?
If you answered ‘yes’, please describe
B11.
Other (please specify)
yes
no
In which specific technical skills that you require are you facing the biggest constraints in finding workers Please
distinguish between High Skill and Low Skill above PROVIDE LIST OF POTENTIAL ANSWERS BASED ON RESEARCH OF THE
INDUSTRY
High Skill workers
Low Skill workers
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C. PRODUCTION STRUCTURE
C.1. (FOR MANUFACTURING) Based on your existing technologies, how much output could your business produce in a year?
(please indicate units – weight or other) _______________ What was your actual output in the last financial year? _____________
C.2. (FOR AGRICULTURE) How many hectares do you have under production (or size of herd if livestock farming)? __________
What was the total output produced from this in the last financial year (please indicate units – weight or other)_______________
C.3. For your main product, please estimate the total cost of production and delivery to the customer ____________________
(please estimate the cost per unit and indicate currency)
C.4. Please estimate the % of this cost that comes from the following:
% of costs
Labor costs
Materials inputs costs
Other main input costs
(electricity, water)
d) Transport and storage
e) Depreciation of
equipment
f)
Other
TOTAL
100%
C.5. If your business were to increase output substantially, what would be your strategy in terms of hiring workers and
investing in new equipment? please indicate one option below
a.) Hire more workers only maintain currency machinery and equipment _________
b.) Hire more workers and also invest in new machinery and equipment _________
c.) Maintain current workforce and invest in new machinery and equipment________
d.) Reduce my workforce and invest in new machinery and equipment_____________
e.) Nothing – would use my current workforce and machinery and equipment_____________
f.) Don’t know__________
a)
b)
c)
C.6. Let’s say your business were to increase output by 100%, by how much would you anticipate to increase (or decrease) your
workforce and your machinery and equipment compared to the present level:
Expected percentage increase
OR decrease with 100%
increase in output
Workforce
Low skill workers
High skill workers
Machinery and equipment
C.7. If you answered c, d, or e to question C5, what are the main reasons why you would not plan to hire more workers even if
you increased output substantially? Please rank by order of importance (1-5, where 1= most important)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
I am currently operating below capacity
I can take advantage of economies of scale
I can access new technology relatively cheaply
Labor is too expensive
I cannot get the skills I would need
NA/ Do not intend to use less labor per unit of output in the future
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D. SUPPLY CHAIN
D.1. What are your top 2 most important inputs (raw materials and components) AND your most important services inputs
(transport, ICT, accounting, etc.) and indicate from where they are sourced?
Raw Material/Input Type
[input 1]
[input 2]
[service input]
Approximate share of total input costs (%)
Share sourced locally (%)
Share imported (%)
Main country imported from – if applicable
D.2. If you were to increase output by 100%, by how much would you anticipate to increase (or decrease) your use of each of
these main inputs compared to the present level:
Raw Material/Input Type
[input 1]
[input 2]
[service input]
Expected percentage increase OR decrease in use
if output increased by 100%
D.3. Approximately how many active suppliers does your business work with today for each of these main inputs?
Raw Material/Input Type
[input 1]
[input 2]
[service input]
Other goods
and services
Estimated number of local suppliers in the
market
Number of active local suppliers you use
Number of active foreign suppliers you
use
Number of suppliers from the informal
sector (if any)
Please list names of some local firms that
you know supply these goods or services
D.4. What do you estimate is the total share of supplies and services that you purchase from local companies? from national
companies outside the local area? that you import?
Local
National
International
TOTAL
(imported)
Estimated percentage of current total spending on
100%
goods and services supplies by source
(indicate %)
D.5. Do you have a specific plan to purchase more from local suppliers?
Yes
No
D.6. If you answered ‘yes’ to Q D5, what do you estimate will be the total share of goods and services you purchase locally 2
years from now?
Local
National
International
TOTAL
(imported)
Estimated percentage of total spending on goods
100%
and services supplies by source (indicate %)
D.7. Is your firm facing obstacles in sourcing from local firms ?
Raw Material/Input Type
[input 1]
Obstacles to source from local
firms? (yes/no)
Yes
[input 2]
No
Yes
[service input]
No
Yes
Other goods and services (note specific
goods with obstacles to local sourcing)
No
D.8. If you answered YES to Q D7, what do you perceive to be the main obstacles in sourcing from local firms across the three
main inputs? Please scale from 1 to 4 for EACH statement below? (1 means “no obstacle” and 4 “severe obstacle”)
a.
Their pricing is uncompetitive
b.
They do not have adequate quality
c.
They lack suitably trained and skilled personnel
d.
Their production capacity is too small
e.
They are unable to make timely deliveries (quick response)
f.
They do not have quality certificates we require from our suppliers
g.
The cannot meet health, safety, environmental, and/or social standards
h.
Other (please specify) ___________________________________
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