The National Expert Survey (NES)

National Expert Surveys* consist of two types of data:

• a 45-minute to one-hour interview providing a detailed description of the unique features of
the (9) entrepreneurial framework conditions;
• a 15-minute survey providing standardized scales of national entrepreneurship framework conditions and national cultural and societal conditions for entrepreneurship

The national expert survey is administered to the National Experts at the end of the 45-minute face-to-face interview**. The questionnaire is not left with the national expert after the face-to-face interview is completed. The interviewer waits for and encourages completion while on site.

A National Expert is someone who is directly involved in delivering or assessing a major aspect of an entrepreneurial framework condition in his/her country. National Experts could be politicians, academics, entrepreneurs, government officials, or other professionals in the field of entrepreneurship. Thus, National Experts are individuals with knowledge of entrepreneurship that can result from various experience and perspectives.  A semi-standardized selection procedure has been developed for selecting National Experts. This is for the purposes of cross-national comparisons.

Experts are chosen so that their work in delivering a major aspect of the relevant framework condition does not overlap—or has a minimal overlap--with experts chosen to represent other framework condition/s. National, regional and local levels are represented among the experts.

National Experts include two distinct categories: “Professionals” (e.g. venture capitalists,
academics, bankers, consultants, politicians etc. including those people who were/are
involved in entrepreneurial ventures alongside their professional role) and;  “Entrepreneurs” (individuals with a history of practical entrepreneurial activity with
relevant experience to one or more framework condition/s. i.e. they are selected
primarily on the basis of their active entrepreneurial experience within their country).

The 9 Framework Conditions:
1.    Financial Support (availability of financial resources, equity, and debt, for new and growing firms including grants and subsidies)
2.    Government Policies (the extent to which government policies concerning taxes, regulations and their application are size neutral and/or whether these polices discourage or encourage new and growing firms)
3.    Government Programs (the presence of direct programs to assist new and growing firms at all levels of government - national, regional, and municipal)
4.    Education and Training (the extent to which training in starting or managing small, new, or growing business features in the educational and training system and the quality, relevance and depth of such education and training in creating or managing small, new or growing business)
5.    Research and Development Transfer (the extent to which national research and development leads to new commercial opportunities, and whether or not R&D is available for new, small, and growing firms)
6.    Commercial and Professional Infrastructure (the influence of commercial, accounting, and other legal services and institutions that allow or promote new, small, or growing businesses)
7.    Market Openness/Barriers to Entry (the extent to which commercial arrangements are prevented from undergoing constant change and re-deployment, preventing new and growing firms from competing and replacing existing suppliers, subcontractors, and consultants)
8.    Access to Physical Infrastructure (access to physical resources— communication, utilities, transportation, land or space—at a price that does not discriminate against new, small, or growing firms)
9.    Cultural and Social Norms (the extent to which existing social and cultural norms encourage, or do not discourage, individual actions that may lead to new ways of conducting business or economic activities and, in turn, lead to greater dispersion in wealth and income)

* Over the few years, there have been various terms used interchangeably to define the GEM national “interviewees”. Terms include: key informant (KI); expert informants; expert respondents and; national experts. Despite these variations in terminology, the role and methods have remained unchanged. Going forward, National Expert Survey (NES) is the term of choice.

** The interview is semi-structured, with three objectives: Firstly, to develop a dialogue between the interviewer and the Country Expert about entrepreneurship – however the interviewer should take care about biasing the Expert. The interviewer is interviewing the Expert, not vice versa; the interviewer’s role is to stimulate the discussion, keep the interview focused, and explore the points raised by the Expert, to ensure sufficient depth of response. Secondly, to identify the weaknesses and strengths about entrepreneurship and how they influence the development of entrepreneurship in the Expert’s country.  Thirdly, to identify suggestions from professionals and entrepreneurs (i.e. National Experts) about how they think entrepreneurship can be increased and/or encouraged in their country.