IFMR-Centre for Micro Finance << Focus Notes

NREGA in Andhra Pradesh - Seven Lessons from the Data
November 2009, Doug Johnson

An innovative feature of the NREG Act is its provisions for transparency: the act itself stipulates that work records, or “muster rolls”, be made available to the public, and that local “social audits” be conducted on a regular basis (Right to Food, 2007). The state of Andhra Pradesh has taken this call for transparency once step further by making detailed micro-level data on NREGA participation in the state available to the public over the internet. To the author’s knowledge, there are few precedents among major poverty relief programs for this kind of public data dissemination. In this focus note, we highlight some specific lessons that may be learned by looking closely at this data.

Assessing the Importance of Financial Literacy
September 2008, Shawn Cole and Nilesh Fernando

This article, co-authored by a CMF research associate and published by the Asian Development Bank, reviews how levels of financial literacy education effect financial behavior. The paper uses several assessments, both from the developed and developing world, to discuss the consequences of low levels of financial literacy, financial literacy's effect on savings and investments, and current efforts to improve financial literacy programs.

The Geographic Distribution of Microfinance Services in India 2007
June 2008, Doug Johnson

The microfinance sector in India has experienced explosive growth over the past five years. Unfortunately, as the last nationwide comprehensive survey of access to finance was conducted in 2001 and very few MFIs report client numbers on a district or even state level, little is known about the geographic distribution of microfinance services throughout the country beyond the most obvious characteristics.

Management Information Systems in Indian Microfinance
January 2008, Doug Johnson

A high quality management information system (MIS) is a key component of any high performing microfinance institution (MFI). Information systems allow MFIs to reduce time spent on rote paperwork, more effectively monitor both staff and clients, and quickly roll out new products and services. An independent survey conducted by the CMF reveals that many Indian MFIs, despite being located in a country with readily available IT talent, suffer from very low quality information systems.

On the Microfinance Bill
January 2008, Minakshi Ramji and Yusuke Taishi

On 20th March 2007, the Union Government introduced the Micro Financial Sector Development and Regulation Bill 2007 in the Lok Sabha – the lower house in the parliament of India. If passed, this bill may change the way in which microfinance is practiced in this country – and possibly in a way that will not be beneficial to the microfinance sector. This note is an attempt to provide an overview of the bill and point out potential perplexities that would arise as a result of it. The following section highlights some of the important proposed changes. This paper will then turn to the implications of these changes and potential problems associated with them.