Evaluation Report on Regional Export Promotion Organizations (ORPEXs)

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This report covers the period from April 1, 2004, to March 31, 2006.

It covers the first two of the three fiscal years specified in the current financial assistance agreements between the ORPEXs and the Ministère du Développement économique, de l'Innovation et de l'Exportation(MDEIE), and contribution agreements between the ORPEXs and Canada Economic Development.

This evaluation specifically look at the following themes: a review of completed activities; spin-offs for clients and their level of satisfaction; the operation of governmental agreements.

Table of Contents

  1. Acknowledgements
  2. Executive summary
  3. Introduction
  4. Regional export promotion organizations
    1. Exports by Quebec companies
    2. Regional export promotion organization support programs
      1. Service régional de promotion des exportations program
      2. IDEA-SME "Market Development component" and Regional Strategic Initiatives (RSI)
    3. Regional export promotion organizations
      1. ORPEXs and regions
      2. ORPEX resources
      3. ORPEX activities and services
      4. Expectations
      5. RECOMEX
      6. CED-MDEIE management committee
      7. Other sources of support for companies
    4. Logical framework
  5. Evaluation guidelines
    1. The evaluation
      1. Mandate and evaluation period
      2. Goal of evaluation
      3. Composition of evaluation committee
    2. Issues and evaluation criteria
    3. Les sources de données
      1. Statistical data from Statistics Canada, ISQ and OECD
      2. Documentation provided by DDME, CED and ORPEXs
      3. Surveys
    4. Implementation timetable
  6. Evaluation of relevance
    1. The existence of needs for government intervention to promote the export option to companies, as demonstrated by Quebec’s performance in this area
      1. Comparison of export levels for Quebec and industrialized nations
      2. La cible de L'Avantage québécois
      3. Needs to promote exports in regions of Quebec
    2. The existence of needs for government intervention to promote the export option to companies, as demonstrated by their participation in the activities and services offered by ORPEXs
      1. Needs met in relation to awareness
      2. Needs met in relation to training
      3. Needs met in relation to support and guidance
      4. Reuse of ORPEX services
    3. How the characteristics of clients supported by the ORPEXs match the characteristics of clients targeted by the programs
      1. SMEs and ORPEXs
      2. Export level of ORPEX clients
      3. Additional data on ORPEX client base
    4. The complementarity of the role of ORPEXs with the role of other public resources dedicated to serving companies
      1. Dissemination of targets, guidelines, etc.
      2. Alignment of ORPEXs and CLDs
      3. Interactions among ORPEXs, MDEIE and CED
      4. Client companies’ opinion of ORPEX leadership
      5. Clients’ and stakeholders’ opinion as regards alignment of roles
  7. Evaluation of effectiveness
    1. Measurement of attainment of objectives based on outputs
      1. Heightening company awareness
      2. Preparing and training potential exporters
      3. Guiding new exporters and consolidating exporters
    2. Measurement of client satisfaction
  8. Evaluation of impacts
    1. Export revenues of ORPEX client companies
    2. Jobs
    3. Future impacts
    4. Leveraging of MDEIE and CED grants
    5. Case studies
  9. Follow-up on recommendations from the 2003 evaluation
    1. Review the performance measurement framework and enhance ORPEX autonomy
    2. Define self-financing measures
    3. Centralize some activities
    4. Clarify the Nomenclature of Activities to correspond to exporter types
    5. Study trade missions’ economic and commercial impacts
    6. Standardize report formats
    7. Encourage the conduct of training and information sessions
  10. Conclusion
  11. Bibliography
  12. List of tables and figures
  13. Appendix 1 Agreements with ORPEXs
  14. Appendix 2 Evaluation of federal and provincial ORPEX support programs
  15. Appendix 3 2004-2006 ORPEX Evaluation
  16. Appendix 4 ORPEX client base survey
  17. Appendix 5 Request for information from directors and/or export advisors with MDEIE and CED regional branches
  18. Appendix 6 Sources of statistical data
  19. Appendix 7 Awareness activities carried out by ORPEXs
  20. Appendix 8 Training activities carried out by ORPEXs
  21. Appendix 9 Suggestions for ways to maximize impacts of ORPEX interventions

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