	USNet Evaluation Component
	OVERVIEW \| PUBLICATIONS

The Evaluation of USNet:Overview of Methods, Results and Implications

Final Report

Philip Shapira, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology. USNet Evaluation Working Paper 9805, August 1998.

This page contains an Executive Summary of the report and the Table of Contents. The entire report can be viewed in Adobe Acrobat format. To view report [Select *.PDF 220K].

Executive Summary

This report summarizes the aims, methods, and principal findings from the evaluation of USNet. The USNet project was a pilot initiative to build the capacity of its partners to promote inter-firm collaboration, with the ultimate aim of enhancing the competitiveness of small and mid-sized manufacturing enterprises.

USNet’s partners comprised a consortium of state-based manufacturing assistance organizations, along with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Regional Technology Strategies, a nonprofit economic development organization based in North Carolina, served as the managing partner of USNet. Federal funding for USNet was granted through the federal Technology Reinvestment Project, under the administration of NIST. The federal funds were matched by state and local funds and in-kind contributions provided by each partner.

The implementation of the USNet evaluation involved a networked group of evaluation specialists from three different organizations – Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, and Nexus Associates, Inc. The report discusses the findings of the major USNet evaluation studies undertaken by members of the evaluation team. The evaluation results from USNet’s Foundation Forum training initiative are reviewed, including both end-of-session and long-term outcomes. There is an assessment of the impacts on firms of participating in inter-firm business networks and a review of what the available case-study literature tells us about how to promote inter-firm networks. The report also highlights the findings from an evaluation of USNet’s technical assistance services and special projects and reviews USNet’s impacts in partner states. Finally, there is a concluding section, in which insights and recommendations for further action are offered.

The principal findings of the evaluation are:

Firms who collaborate in inter-firm networks report positive net benefits, while greatest private impacts are associated with strong industry leadership of networks
USNet’s original network promotion goals were too ambitious, given the resources available
Judged against more realistic expectations, USNet has performed well
USNet’s training programs have generated widespread awareness about inter-firm collaboration
USNet special projects demonstrate the value of explicit follow-on initiatives to promote inter-firm collaboration
USNet policy and organizational impacts at the state level were modest
Federal support can strengthen efforts to promote inter-firm collaboration at the state level and aid shared learning

We found that local MEP service providers are interested in efforts to promote inter-firm collaboration. There remains a valuable opportunity for a focused organization outside of the MEP or a renewed program within the MEP to promote the concept. Within the MEP, stronger encouragement for inter-firm collaboration by NIST management would assist MEP service providers in extending local network activity. Additional special project funding to support demonstration networking efforts by local MEP centers would also be worthwhile. At the very least, opportunities for inter-state exchange and sharing should be sustained, drawing on the positive experiences reported from the USNet Partners’ Learning Network.

Contents

	Executive Summary
	Contributors to the USNet Evaluation Component
	Definitions

1.	Introduction

2.	USNet Evaluation Design

3.	The USNet Foundation Forums – Effectiveness and Outcomes
	3.1	Foundation Forum End-of-Session Assessments
	3.2	Foundation Forum Follow-up Studies
	3.3	Observations and Recommendations

4.	Business Consequences: Impacts of Inter-Firm Networking on Firms
	4.1	Study Methodology
	4.2	Characteristics of Responding Network Businesses
	4.3	Networks and Their Activities
	4.4	Business Impacts
	4.5	Employment and Skill Impacts
	4.6	Nature of Network Participation and Network Impacts
	4.7	Conclusions from Network Impact Study

5.	Learning about the Promotion of Networks
	5.1	Study Methodology
	5.2	Findings and Lessons Learned
	5.3	Conclusions

6.	Field Services and Special Projects
	6.1	Methodology for Assessment of USNet Special Projects
	6.2	The Five State Case Studies
	6.3	Lessons Learned from the State Case Studies

7.	State Impacts
	7.1	State Assessment - Methodology
	7.2	Survey Findings – Extent and Context for Inter-firm Collaboration
	7.3	State Perceptions of USNet’s Performance and Impact

8.	Conclusions

	Appendix – USNet Evaluation: Publications and Tools

RETURN TO INTERFIRM COLLABORATION PAGE

January 14, 2004