In February 2011, Mthente Research was commissioned by the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) to undertake an external evaluation of its Craft Sector and Innovation Development Programme in the SADC region. Previously, Mthente completed an assessment for the CCDI of the state of basic art education in the Western Cape.

The CCDI was set up in 2001 to promote and grow craft as an economic sector in the Western Cape Province and is a joint initiative of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The CCDI supports craft producers and helps to network all players in the product-to-market chain, which includes craft producers and designer-makers, retailers, marketing agents, exporters and service providers such as designers, product developers, skills trainers, business development practitioners and mentors. Government and other funders form a vital part of this collaboration to build relationships across sectors.

The CCDI has been running the Craft Sector and Innovation Development Programme, funded by the Kellogg Foundation, since its initiation in July 2008. The programme has involved working with craft producers and craft development practitioners in SADC and four other provinces in South Africa with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of support provided to entrepreneurs and craft producers in the region. This would in turn see an increase in the sustainability and profitability of the sector and improved quality of life.

As one of the programme deliverables, an external evaluation of the programme must be conducted to measure the impact it has had over the past three years. In collaboration with the CCDI and the Kellogg Foundation, Mthente will use a set of evaluation questions to measure the impact of the programme and then make recommendations about the content and process of the project.