Loading...
Evaluating Failure: A CIPP Analysis of the CriticalMas Digital Entrepreneurship Project
Abstract
This paper comprehensively evaluates the CriticalMas project, a digital entrepreneurship initiative led by the University of the West Indies Global Campus in collaboration with IBM Canada and funded by Global Affairs Canada and the Commonwealth of Learning. Aimed at empowering NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth and final-year undergraduates across the Caribbean, the project developed two tailored curricula— Digital Heroes and Startup Academy—focused on mobile app development, business skills, and digital literacy. The project failed to be fully implemented despite strong institutional partnerships, innovative curriculum design, and substantial funding due to unresolved conflicts over intellectual property (IP) ownership. This paper uses the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) evaluation model to analyze the CriticalMas project's trajectory, highlighting its valuable educational outputs and the institutional policy misalignments that led to its termination. The project's findings underscore the critical significance of aligning IP frameworks with the goals of entrepreneurship education, particularly when targeting marginalized populations whose empowerment depends on ownership of their creative work.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education
Paper ID: 6715
Country
Region
Caribbean and Americas
Collections
Files
Loading...
PCF11_Paper_6715.pdf
Adobe PDF, 222.77 KB
Link
Date
2025-09
Author
ORCID
Corporate Author
Editor
Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)