EVIDENCE-DRIVEN DIALOGUES: A STRATEGY FOR UNDERSTANDING ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM

Abstract

An entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) involves a set of actors and factors that contribute to the local production of dynamic entrepreneurship. Despite the rapid dissemination of the EE approach in the fields of academic research and policy practice, few research efforts provide a methodology for assessing entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) oriented towards policy action in specific geographic contexts. This paper presents a strategy for understanding EEs based on the idea of ​​evidence-driven dialogues (EDDs) in order to support public policy (PPs)makers. EDDs involve conducting dialogues between and with the actors of an EE, and such dialogues should focus on the reality of a particular EE and be guided by as much objective data (evidence) as possible. To illustrate the use of EDDs in public policy formulation, we describe the procedures adopted in the application of EDDs in a municipality in the state of Paraná, as part of a broader research on municipal EDDs.