The results of the 2008 FinScope survey indicate that over 52% of the Rwandan population are financially excluded and that banks and microfinance organisations serve only 14% and 7% of the population respectively. The Government of Rwanda have responded to this challenge through establishing the Ubudehe Credit Scheme. OPM was commissioned to assess if its objectives are being met.
A new initiative in India will provide CSOs with real-time data so that they can help socially excluded groups in the country gain access to basic service such as healthcare, as well as livelihood options. Using a ‘value for money’ framework, the initiative will involve developing new tools and be supported by a web-based management information system for monitoring and evaluation.
A pioneering evaluation of budget support in Zambia could set the benchmark for assessing the impact of this type of aid in other countries.
While previous assessments have taken a high-level view of budget support, the two-year Zambian study used econometric analysis to provide detailed insights into the impact of budget support at a sectoral and household level on poverty and economic growth.
Despite accounting for only 0.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Vietnam's government is taking climate change extremely seriously. And for a good reason. The country is one of the most vulnerable to the effects to climate change. A new paper explores Vietnam’s evolving role and position in international climate change negotiations.
The success of cash transfer programmes is usually measured by their impact on poverty and human capital. Yet evidence from Malawi and Zimbabwe suggests that these programmes often have large, and sometimes negative social consequences that are both important in themselves and can affect the material aspects of wellbeing, including livelihoods.
Read more