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The report presents a Value Chain Analysis (VCA) of three commodities; tomato, onion and Irish potato, in the Jenda area of Mzimba District, in Malawi. The VCA tool examines the mechanisms and drivers which control the mode by which a product reaches its end market and it gives an understanding of how to improve the competitiveness of the chain whilst increasing participation in a manner that fairly distributes value down the chain.

The potential size of the global micro reinsurance market is estimated somewhere between US$6 billion and US$12 billion in ceded premium. An untapped market of this size warrants significant attention from the reinsurance community, given downward global trends in commercial reinsurance and other pressures on top-line growth. 

In the last decade, some insurance associations (IAs) have expanded beyond their traditional core functions to develop insurance consumer education (ICE) programmes.  IAs, as the representatives of the industry are well-positioned and ideally suited to invest in ICE. By investing in ICE they not only promote consumer protection but they also contribute in improving the reputation of the industry. Excerpted from Microinsurance Paper no. 31, this brief summarises steps that the IAs should take during the preparation of an ICE.

Delivering insurance to the poor is a formidable task. Insurers must reach people who do not come into contact with their usual sales channels, at low cost and in large numbers. To be successful, they must answer three critical questions: How can I make most of the distribution channel? What can I do for the distribution channel? Is the channel right for my target market?

Health microinsurance (HMI) can deliver value to clients and support efforts to achieve universal health coverage. Despite being the most demanded type of microinsurance across the world, its success remains limited and HMI providers face a myriad of challenges: how to provide affordable comprehensive benefits, prevent illness, reduce administrative costs, provide access to quality health care, limit fraud and moral hazard, and manage the cost of care? 

The last brief of Client Value series provides recommendations for policy-makers, regulators and funders on how to create an enabling environment that promotes client value. The insights are based on new impact evidence of microinsurance and the experience of countries where governments and donors are using insurance related interventions to achieve public policy objectives or develop the market. The brief presents ten blueprints to guide government and donor decisions and actions across the three main dimensions 1) insurance promotion through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and subsidies; 2) investment in infrastructure and client education; and 3) regulation and supervision.

The second brief in the Client Value series provides recommendations for insurance companies, other risk-carriers and distributors (broadly defined as providers) on how to improve the value that their microinsurance offerings provide to clients. These insights are based on evidence (see Brief 1) and close collaboration with a diverse set of more than 60 providers over the last six years. This brief starts with four key lessons that are an important background for the ten blueprints that follow. 

In 2010 the Facility studied six insurers and saw that they were facing challenges with profitability. They implemented a number of corrective measures, particularly in distribution and claims management. Now, Briefing Note #26 investigates whether those measures have been successful over the longer term. 

In Briefing Note #24, the experience of 12 microinsurance providers across various product types and regional contexts is explored in order to identify some guiding principles that apply uniquely to claims management in microinsurance. Common underlying drivers that affect the claims process are identified and programme design considerations are evaluated for their potential impact on the claims function. The goal is to identify strategies for claims processes and systems that can maximize efficiency and client value.

Insurers are using mobile phones to address two main challenges facing the microinsurance sector: increasing efficiency and reaching scale. Briefing note #21 is based on a review of literature and 13 insurance schemes that are using mobile phones in some capacity. The brief reveals good practices and lessons for insurers to consider when implementing mobile-based microinsurance.