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Digital Access Matters: The Benefits of Bringing High-Speed Internet To Low-Income Communities During COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has led people around the world to work and shop from home – but as Dirk-Jan Koeman and Kara Ing at Poa Internet point out, this is easier for some than others. For instance, in densely-populated urban areas in Kenya, the lack of high-speed internet makes working from home almost impossible. They discuss how Poa is bringing these households online, and share research on how these newly connected customers are using the internet.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Social Enterprise, Technology, Telecommunications, Transportation
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How Should We Measure Impact? We Asked Our Investees.
Ceniarth describes itself as an "impact-first investor," but as senior impact manager Julia Mensink points out, even with its commitment and resources, it has found that there is no simple solution to measuring impact well. She explores what Ceniarth learned by asking all its investees how they measure impact, and shares key insights which may be useful to other investors looking to deepen their impact measurement practices.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing, Social Enterprise, Technology
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Avoiding Information Overload: Four Lessons From a Performance Manager on How To Use Data To Drive Development Outcomes
Development impact bonds (DIBs) are a popular way to drive successful social outcomes – but assessing a program's effectiveness requires a lot of data. Dayoung Lee and Dia Banerjee at Dalberg Advisors share lessons they've learned from managing the performance of the world’s largest education DIB, showing how data can improve outcomes without causing undue burdens on the organizations that should be benefiting from it.
- Categories
- Education, Investing, Technology
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From Financial Inclusion To Inclusive Finance: The Power of Frameworks To Catalyse Change
In this age of information, we increasingly rely on data to inform our decisions. But as Amrik Heyer at FSD Kenya points out, the utility of data for guiding policy and investment depends on the paradigms and frameworks which influence our thinking. She discusses the power of frameworks in shaping research and informing financial inclusion policy and investment, using the example of the FinAccess survey in Kenya.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Enabling Ecosystems: How To Boost Fintech Innovation and Financial Inclusion During and After COVID-19
Lockdowns in response to COVID-19 have rapidly accelerated digitalization worldwide, particularly in finance. But as analysts from the University of New South Wales, the University of Luxembourg, the University of Hong Kong and GIZ point out, ensuring the safe and inclusive development of digital finance is a major challenge. They explore why an ecosystem-based strategy could be the answer.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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The Shift Toward Partnership: How African Banks Can Gain a Competitive Advantage Through Strategic Alliances
The African banking sector is going through a technological revolution, as fintech firms, mobile money operators and other non-traditional players now provide services that had formerly been reserved for banks. Osahon Akpata at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated explores how strategic partnerships can help banks stay profitable and relevant to their customers amidst this disruption.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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In Defense of Palm Oil: Why We Should Be Supporting the Industry’s Move Toward Sustainability – Not Demonizing It
After reading Jim R. Richards’ NextBillion op-ed “The Ecological Disaster of Palm Oil: Why It’s Time to Embrace Climate-Friendly Alternatives,” Robert Hii at CSPO-Watch.com felt compelled to respond. He argues that Richards' critique of the palm oil industry's ecological damage fails to recognize its impact on local economic growth and poverty reduction, and ignores its substantial moves toward sustainability.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Environment, Technology
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Gender: The Blind Spot of the COVID-19 Response in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
The COVID-19 pandemic is imposing a disproportionately higher socio-economic cost on women. As Melinda Gates put it, “COVID-19 is gender-blind, but not gender-neutral.” Analysts at MSC discuss four potential types of fallout from COVID-19 that will have lasting socio-economic impacts on women in India and other low- and middle-income countries, based on multiple studies that MSC conducted between March and July of this year.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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