This white paper seeks to articulate the impacts of connectivity and propose a framework of financial, social and economic key performance indicators (KPIs) for the LMC sector, in order to ultimately drive investments in the sector. The purpose of the framework is to illuminate impact pathways that link investments in LMC enterprises to positive development outcomes. The paper builds on the existing literature pertinent to impact measurement in the connectivity sector and lays out a set of business, outcome and impact metrics that can be used by enterprises and investors to tangibly measure and articulate the anticipated commercial value and positive social impacts of connectivity.

The approach to develop this framework involved extensive research, stakeholder interviews and feedback from an expert advisory panel. Publications from a wide range of organizations and journals were reviewed as part of an extensive literature review on the impact of mobile and internet connectivity in the development context. Over 30 stakeholders with expertise in areas such as investment, technology and enterprise models related to LMC provided insights to guide the development of the framework. An advisory panel of experts reviewed a draft of the report to offer early feedback and incorporate suggestions for inclusion.

A comprehensive list of possible business performance indicators for LMC enterprises was determined, reviewed and proposed for inclusion. From this list, eight core business indicators have been identified. These indicators have been proposed on the basis of their potential to enable LMC enterprises to objectively measure performance and engage investors. In addition, a list of outcome indicators has been proposed. These outcome indicators will enable LMC enterprises to articulate the positive social impacts of connectivity. The proposed core business indicators and outcome indicators can be found in Section 4: Core Indicators. Together, these two sets of measures comprise the KPI framework referenced throughout this paper.