In market systems development programmes, is "sustainability" a realistic project objective or just a baseless buzzword? One of the key selling points of using a systems approach is that the results live on well after the programme closes. However, to date, little to no evidence has been collected to definitively show that the approach really delivers the goods—long-term sustainability.
This paper summarises the findings and lessons from an assessment into selected outcomes of the ILO Enter-Growth project in Sri Lanka—a micro- and small- enterprise development project principally working in the agriculture sector—ten years after it closed. It focuses on understanding whether the changes brought about by Enter-Growth were lasting, and the reasons why (or why not).