
A Revolution in Design-Driven Export:
A Case Study of Aid to Artisans in Peru, 1994-2002
This case study reviews Aid to Artisans’ experience in Peru during a USAID-funded project from 1994 through 2002. It is part of a series of cases, funded by the Ford Foundation, that examines and draws lessons from ATA’s global experience. The case describes the activities, results, and lessons learned from ATA’s design-driven, export-focused project in Peru.
ATA’s eight-year involvement in the Peruvian craft sector resulted in substantial growth in craft exports, bigger businesses, and more jobs in the craft sector. ATA consultants found new and intriguing techniques in two rural areas; one became successful in the international market, and one did not. The project was challenging for Aid to Artisans, which was not accustomed to being so distant from its artisan client. At the same time, staff realized that by conducting design and marketing work with exporters, ATA’s impact would be much broader than the same effort would have been working directly with microenterprises.
To write the case, ATA staff reviewed project records, interviewed artisan businesses, buyers and staff, and surveyed 65 artisans. The field research was conducted in 2004, as ATA was launching a new, three-year project focused in the coca-growing rural areas.
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