Assessment of Cuban MSMEs using a multidimensional approach to local development

Abstract

The contribution of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to local development in the Cuban context is a strategic issue; however, without comprehensive evaluation systems, it is difficult to measure their true multidimensional impact. This article examines the structural gaps that constrain this contribution, based on the analytical approach developed by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, and analyzes the methodological gap that persists in the evaluation of these productive units. Through a systematic review of the specialized literature, six types of gaps were identified: productivity, employment and job quality, productive linkages, gender, digitalization and innovation, and governance. These gaps form a vicious cycle that limits the transformative potential of MSMEs. The institutional evolution of local development in Cuba, regulatory advances, and the structural challenges documented in Cuban academic literature are analyzed. It is argued that, despite these advances, a significant methodological gap persists: the absence of comprehensive evaluation systems that go beyond an economic-centered approach and capture the qualitative dimensions of territorial development. The contribution of this study lies in providing an integrated diagnosis of the constraints affecting Cuban MSMEs and identifying the remaining challenges for the development of evaluation systems adapted to the municipal context. The article concludes that overcoming these gaps requires not only macroeconomic policies and regulatory reforms but also multidimensional evaluation systems that enable local governments to make evidence-based decisions.