Across private-sector development programmes, technical assistance (TA) is often designed with good intentions, but is ineffective in terms of driving longer-term behaviour change.
This is typically due to generic content, poorly-timed delivery, or being shaped more by the offer developed by TA providers rather than the support the business actually needs. As a result, TA risks becoming a box ticking exercise rather than a catalyst for sustainable impact.
Drawing on six years of delivering TA to more than 120 businesses across the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) portfolio, this learning brief distills what has driven uptake, adoption, and improved employment outcomes for CFYE’s implementing partners (IPs). It shows how strategically offered and commercially relevant TA shows potential to shift business practices, unlock growth, and make job outcomes more inclusive and
sustainable.
The brief is intended for fund managers, practitioners, and donors designing TA facilities for private sector development programmes.
