Data Management and Analytics Capabilities (DMAC) is a two-year programme initiated by Financial Sector Deepening Africa (FSD Africa) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC).

Implemented in Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, DMAC is designed to build capacity within financial service providers (FSPs) in sub-Saharan Africa to use data-driven evidence to design inclusive and affordable financial products and services that respond to the needs of otherwise unserved and under-served adults, with a particular focus on women and youth. In Tanzania, DMAC is also known as DataDisrupt.

It is being implemented by Oxford Policy Management (OPM), in collaboration with Accion’s Global Advisory Solutions and Master Data Management (MDM).

Our approach

DMAC is working closely with partner FSPs to enhance their capabilities to manage and analyse data, develop and innovate new business models, and reflect and share the lessons about what they have found works and what doesn’t. Over the duration of the programme, up to nine FSPs will be carefully selected and provided with the funding and technical assistance needed to develop, test, and take these products to market.


Between now and late 2019, the programme aims to:

• build capacity for evidence-based decision making within the FSPs engaged with the project, and within the local research and data analytics community (local service providers) that provide input to the FSPs;
• harness data to spur innovations that can help address the financial barriers that limit the potential of marginalised groups;
• demonstrate the business case for investing in the use of data, by helping FSPs to use data-driven evidence to design and launch financial products and services that address the financial needs of the unserved and underserved market segments;
• make what matters to the customer the starting point for product development performance reporting, and placing customers at the centre and taking an iterative approach to product design that allows for adaptation;
• provide market analysis, awareness raising, and market coordination; gather market information, conduct market analysis, identify barriers to and opportunities for financial inclusion; facilitate relationships and raise awareness about the programme; and
• communicate programme learning by creating and sharing practical resources to ensure that lessons learned are used by other FSPs to develop sustainable products for marginalised customers in other sub-Saharan African countries.

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Image credit: AFR/Kristina Just