TRACER STUDY OF GRADUATE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOOD PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS: Examining the Sustainability of Microenterprise/Employment Projects

In pursuit of improving the well-being of poor families and going beyond the conventional approaches in poverty alleviation, the Department had implemented various livelihood schemes for different vulnerable sectors (i.e., family, women, older persons, persons with disabilities, and youth) even before the 1990s. They have since evolved into what is now known as the Sustainable Livelihood Program which has two (2) tracks – microenterprise development (MD) and employment facilitation (EF).

So far, the SLP participants that have been subjected to final assessment were those provided with program grant modalities in 2015 and 2016. For those who were served in the latter year, there were a total of 63,409 SLP participants who have undergone final assessment as of March 2021. Upon assessment as of March 2021, 42.3% of the MD projects and 44.8% of the EF participants have already completed their employment contract, were terminated, or remained unemployed.

The SLP has been subjected to process evaluations, program assessments, and studies examining the livelihood outcomes of SLP participants, but most of which looked into program participants while they were still under the observation and guidance of the program. There is little knowledge on how did the participants and their projects fair after graduation from the program. Thus, the Research and Evaluation Division of the Policy Development and Planning Bureau conducted a tracer study on the SLP participants who were provided with program modalities in 2016 and examine the sustainability of their microenterprise/employment projects three (3) years after their graduation from the program in 2018. Specifically, this study aimed to achieve the following:

1. To determine the magnitude of SLP participants whose microenterprise/ employment projects have been sustained after graduation from the program as of 2021;
2. To identify particular SLP track, modality, industry/occupation group and other program and project aspects with high percentage of sustained microenterprise/employment projects;
3. To identify and examine the facilitating and hindering factors that contribute to the sustainability of microenterprise/employment projects of SLP participants after graduation from the program;
4. To identify policy and program recommendations on ensuring sustainability of microenterprise/employment projects of SLP participants after graduation from the program.