Measuring digital adoption

CEBU, Philippines — Beyond training, Grab and ITC will track whether digital adoption translates into changes in business performance.

The partners will use assessments, surveys, regular check-ins and technology-adoption data to monitor changes in merchants’ business practices, use of digital tools and performance.

The data could help shape future iterations of the program and provide broader insights into the pace and impact of MSME digitalization in the Philippines.

Camille Roy, country program manager at ITC, said digital transformation has become increasingly important for small businesses seeking access to new markets and greater resilience against economic and climate-related disruptions.

The partnership, she said, allows ITC to combine its community-based training with Grab’s existing platform and merchant tools, bringing digital assistance closer to entrepreneurs in underserved and underconnected communities.

Digital PINAS is a joint program funded by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund, with contributions from the European Union (EU).

The program seeks to expand digital inclusion among Filipino MSMEs and is implemented by ITC, the International Labour Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, together with government agencies led by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

For Grab, the partnership adds a skills-development component to its push to bring more small businesses into the digital economy, while giving the company and its partners a framework to assess whether technology adoption is translating into stronger and more sustainable businesses.