Publication database

The report provides insights into the state of inclusive business in the Philippines, the level of awareness about IB among companies and the IB policy environment. It introduces IB opportunities across four sectors: food and agribusiness, skills building and education, infrastructure and financial services.

Angkor Mikroheranhvatho Kampuchea (AMK) participated in the ILO Microfinance for Decent Work (MF4DW) action research from 2008-2012. As part of this global experimental research, AMK introduced a financial education programme in two rural branches. The programme aimed to address challenges that clients faced in regard to the risk management strategies they use and their levels of indebtedness. The impact of the financial education programme on clients’ financial attitude and behaviour, risk management strategies, asset building, over-indebtedness and multiple borrowing, and vulnerability, was measured employing a difference-in-difference methodology. The econometric analysis is based on a balanced three-wave panel data set with target and control groups. It shows that AMK’s financial education programme had the strongest impact on the repayment behaviour of clients with a significant reduction of 3.4 per cent in late repayments. The innovation also had significant and positive impact on asset building outcome variables such as insurance take-up with a 10 per cent increase. The programme positively influenced financial attitude as shown by a significant decrease in client belief that it is impossible to save, clients’ association of savings and security increasing by 1 per cent as well as changing attitudes towards borrowing. However, the analysis also shows insignificant and/or unexpected results for other outcome variables, which may be due to some issues with the experimental design of the research and the survey instrument. It is therefore possible that the innovation may have had a stronger impact than actually measured and reported in this document.

This paper examines the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to companies' business activities. It sets out many significant opportunities for all companies to play a role in the achievement of the SDGs.

This report examines how companies that serve the Base of Pyramid (BOP) use broadband to improve the efficiency of their operations and better reach this market segment in Latin America and the Caribbean. It explores broadband-enabled BOP business models, the ecosystem in which they operate, the benefits and challenges of broadband adoption, and the role of public policy and regulation.

Despite the fact that national health insurance has been available in Ghana since 2003, the coverage is far from universal. Research Paper #23 evaluates a consumer education intervention for microfinance clients by Freedom from Hunger and Sinapi Aba Trust designed to increase awareness, knowledge and eventually take-up rates of the National Health Insurance Scheme. Results suggest that the lack of knowledge may not the most important barrier to enrolment: while health insurance education appeared to increase knowledge of health insurance among those who received it, there were no significant differences in enrolment rates between the treatment groups and control group. Rather, it appears that convenience of registration and timing of premium payments were more common challenges faced by these individuals. 

This study provides a detailed comparative analysis of pupils attending low-cost private schools 'Bridge International Academies' and schools in the neighbourhood in Kenya. It examines the assessment history, key demographic characteristics, and baseline test scores of pupils in Pre-Unit to Class 2 in 2011 to pupils in Classes 2 through 4 in 2013.

This case study explores the business model, development impacts and commercial results of iSchool, a Zambian start-up company offering e-learning systems for Zambian primary schools and individual learning at home. It reviews the challenges in achieving a sustainable business model, educational transformation and delivering social impact.

This report reviews the Grameen Koota financial services and Hippocampus Learning Centres (HLC) partnership which provides fee-based quality education combined with an enjoyable experience of learning for children living in rural areas of Karnataka, India. It outlines the programme design, financial implications, challenges and pilot findings from 18 villages.

This document represents a contribution made by the Tripartite Committee comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas Initiative, in Santo Domingo, on 5 October 2011. The report sets out lessons learned and success stories, both in the region and elsewhere, concerning the priority area of promoting the development of micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SME). It includes the fields of productive linkages for SME, preparing a modern labour force, trade facilitation, technological modernization, environmental governance and cooperation and improving policies.