Developing expertise in small and medium-sized enterprises: an evaluation of consultancy support

Enhancement of the management capabilities of small and medium-sized enterp rises (SMEs) has attracted increasing policy attention in recent years. Man y of the mechanisms used by government agencies involve the provision of ex ternal expertise in the form of advice, training, and subsidised consultanc y. These schemes face various difficulties in addressing the diverse needs of SMEs effectively. Some of these difficulties are reflections of the diff erent organisational cultures of the public and private sectors. The author s examine a major policy initiative in Scotland which constitutes an attemp t to overcome some of them: the Expert Help Scheme. This scheme has achieve d significant take-up through developing links with existing business suppo rt agencies and active promotion by consultants. The scheme's broad scope a nd flexibility have simplified this task. Client companies have generally b een very satisfied with the quality of the service: it seems to have had a beneficial effect on some of their capabilities, and on the sales turnover and employment of several firms. There is scope for improvement through gre ater targeting and focusing of the scheme in order to enhance its additiona lity. There is also a case for closer integration with local business agenc ies in order to provide a more comprehensive package of support, enabling r eal developmental relationships to be created with companies.