Disclaimer:
Please be aware that the content herein has not been peer reviewed. It consists of personal reflections, insights, and learnings of the contributor(s). It may not be exhaustive, nor does it aim to be authoritative knowledge.
Title
Please provide a name for your action learning plan.
Mapping the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Syria
Challenge statement
Challenge type: If you are working on multiple challenges, please indicate if this is your "big bet" or "exploratory" challenge.
Please note: we ask you to only submit a maximum of 3 challenges - 1x Big Bet, 2x Exploratory. Each challenge must be submitted individually.
EXPLORATORY
Challenge statement: What is your challenge? (Please answer in specific terms: "Our challenge is that...”.)
Lack of a common and clear understanding of the entrepreneurial context and ecosystem in Syria
Background: What is the history of your challenge? What is causing or driving it? Who is involved? How does the current situation look like? What undesired effects does it produce?
The conflict has resulted in significant economic challenges, including
infrastructure damage, displacement of people, and a general decline in
business activity. all of which has severely disrupted the entrepreneurial
ecosystem in Syria. Many entrepreneurs and professionals have left the country,
seeking stability and opportunities elsewhere.
Despite these challenges, there have been some instances of resilience and entrepreneurial
activity amidst the conflict. Local entrepreneurs and startups have emerged in
sectors like information technology, e-commerce, services, shared economy, and
social enterprises, often operating under difficult circumstances. These
individuals and organizations have showcased creativity, resourcefulness, and
adaptability in pursuing their business ideas.
Several local and international organizations, including UN agencies and UNDP, have
also been working to support entrepreneurship in Syria. They provide funding,
mentorship, training programs, and networking opportunities to help
entrepreneurs overcome challenges and develop their businesses. Such
organizations aim to empower Syrian entrepreneurs to contribute to economic
recovery and job creation.
The entrepreneurial ecosystem in Syria is significantly impacted by the ongoing
conflict, and the operating environment remains complex and challenging.
Rebuilding and catalyzing the ecosystem will require dedicated efforts from
various stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and
international organizations.
To begin the process, it is crucial to understand the current state of
entrepreneurship in Syria and map the existing ecosystem. This analysis
involves examining the stakeholders, their interactions, identifying enablers,
and understanding the challenges and opportunities present. In pursuit of this
goal, the Accelerator Lab Syria, in partnership with Sanad, a Syrian civil
society organization, will conduct a series of collective intelligence sessions
with different stakeholders, including actors and entrepreneurs. The objective
of these sessions is to map the ecosystem comprehensively and derive meaningful
recommendations for its enhancement and development.
Quantitative evidence: What (official) data sources do you have on this challenge that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge? You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Qualitative evidence: What weak signals have you recently spotted that characterizes its urgency? Please provide qualitative information that better exemplifies the importance and urgency of this frontier challenge. You can add text, a link, or a picture.
Value proposition: What added value or unique value proposition is your Accelerator Lab bringing to solving this challenge? Why is it your Lab that needs to work on this challenge and not other actors within UNDP, other stakeholders in the country respectively? Why is it worth investing resources to this challenge?
Accelerator Lab Syria is designing a series of co-exploration sessions that will bring on board the various actors and stakeholders and activate the power of collective intelligence. The workshop objectives are: mapping the entrepreneurial ecosystem, identifying current challenges, barriers, and opportunities, and identifying entry points for UNDP to develop innovative solutions to overcome obstacles and foster a supportive environment for startups and initiatives.
Short “tweet” summary: We would like to tweet what you are working on, can you summarize your challenge in a maximum of 280 characters?
Accelerator Lab Syria is designing a series of co-exploration sessions to map the entrepreneurial ecosystem & identify challenges, barriers, & opportunities. We're activating the power of collective intelligence to foster a supportive environment for startups & initiatives. #entrepreneurship #UNDP
Partners
Who are your top 5 partners for this challenge? Please submit from MOST to LEAST important and state Name, Sector and a brief description of the (intended) collaboration.
Please state the name of the partner:
Sanad team for development
فريق سند التنموي
What sector does our partner belong to?
Civil Society
Please provide a brief description of the collaboration.
Co- designing
Hosting
Is this a new and unusual partner for UNDP?
No
Learning questions
Learning question: What is your learning question for this challenge? What do you need to know or understand to work on your challenge statement?
What are the different components of an entrepreneurial ecosystem?
What are the challenges and opportunities facing entrepreneurs in Syria?
How can UNDP use collective intelligence to foster a supportive environment for
startups and initiatives?
What are the best practices for mapping an entrepreneurial ecosystem?
How can the results of an entrepreneurial ecosystem mapping exercise be used to develop
programs and initiatives to support entrepreneurship?
To what stage(s) in the learning cycle does your learning question relate?
Sense, Explore
Usage of methods: Relating to your choice above, how will you use your methods & tools for this learning question? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
The tools and methods chosen above are essential for the success of the system mapping exercise and to answer our learning questions.
Existing data gaps: Relating to your choice above, what existing gaps in data or information do these new sources of data addressing? What value do these add in answering your learning question?
Each of the chosen sources of Data are going to support us in either acquiring or generating data and information to help us map the ecosystem.
Closing
Early leads to grow: Think about the possible grow phase for this challenge - who might benefit from your work on this challenge or who might be the champions in your country that you should inform or collaborate with early on to help you grow this challenge?
The end result of this challenge will support UNDP in identifying gaps in existing programs and opportunities to contribute to the grow and activation of the ecosystem.
END OF ACTION LEARNING PLAN: Thank you! The form saves automatically and your submission has been recorded. You may now exit this window.
1No poverty
8Decent work and economic growth
10Reduced innequalities
Comments
Log in to add a comment or reply.