For some years Argentina’s government, through the National Agency for the Promotion of Science and Technology (ANPCYT), has implemented a program to encourage the diversification of exports, increase the added value of the country’s products and improve the quality of employment.

To accomplish these objectives, Argentina’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation boosted “initiatives to strengthen human capital, expand training and innovation, as well as encourage and give support to young entrepreneurs.”  In particular, the agency established the Program for the Promotion of Productive Innovation.

A thorough evaluation of the program was needed to assess its progress and impact, looking specifically at the effectiveness and efficiency of the resources invested.

This evaluation initiative, coordinated by Argentina’s Interdisciplinary Center for the Study in Science, Technology and Innovation (CIECTI), featured four surveys among the populations of undergraduate and graduate students, and entrepreneurs in the areas of science and technology.

Sistemas Integrales was appointed to provide advice on survey design and to design and develop tools for fieldwork quality control. Each of the four surveys needed different data collection modes in accordance with the different features of the surveyed populations.

Resulting instruments included online self-administered questionnaires, telephone and face-to-face interviews.