Research Questions

Type 1: Innovations, challenges and opportunities

Question 1: What were the most important innovations (private or public sector) that allowed for a 'win-win' scenario between the enterprise model and the interests of the poor? (These innovations could be social, financial, technological, legal, regulatory and the like.)

Question 2: What were the challenges that needed to be overcome in order to achieve this 'win-win' scenario? (These challenges could be social, financial, technological, legal or regulatory or cultural or psychological factors such as mindsets, beliefs and the like.)

Question 3: Thinking about the impact of the innovation, how were the development outcomes for the poor and the gains for the business optimized? (The innovation may be related to an enterprise or a phenomenon outside the business such as a supply chain.)

Question 4: What opportunities are the entrepreneur, the enterprise and its stakeholders pursuing? (The motivations of the entrepreneur may be social, psychological, financial and the like.)

Type 2: Innovations, adaptation and scaling

Question 5: What were or could be the most important innovations (private or public sector) that allowed or would allow for scaling up of the enterprise model in such a way as to produce significant 'win win' benefits to the poor and the enterprise? (These innovations could be social, financial, technological, legal or regulatory or cultural or psychological factors such as mindsets, beliefs and the like.)

Question 6: What were or are the adaptations, replications, scaling options tried or available to this enterprise model? (These could be social, financial, technological, legal or regulatory or cultural or psychological factors such as mindsets, beliefs and the like.)

Type 3: Business and development model

Question 7: What business model is employed in this case? (The description of the business model should include value propositions for all stakeholders, including customers, workers, investors and poor people, whatever role they play.)

Question 8: What is the development model? (This should address how the poor are involved in the enterprise—as employees, entrepreneurs, consumers and the like—and how the impacts are focused—on unmet needs, economic empowerment or enablement or as part of business to consumer or business-to-business marketplaces, with links to the Millennium Development Goals where relevant.)

Question 9: Were partnerships or networks an important element in bridging the business and development models? (These may include formal or informal associations of the poor, local communities and the like, bilateral or multilateral development agencies, national and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises, customers, academic institutions and so on.)

Question 10: What are the direct impacts of the business operation on the poor and on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals? (We need quantitative and qualitative data where possible but also qualitative descriptions of intangibles such as empowerment, equity, self-reliance and the like. List direct benefits for the poor, such as jobs, income, investment, increased access, availability and affordability. Note any wider development impacts such as gender impact, environmental sustainability and relevance to specific Millennium Development Goals.)