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Data and Insights
Data driven decision making is at the core of our research methodologies as we assist our clients with innovative data techniques to generate strategic and actionable insights. We have been decoding mass market behavior for over two decades, while our rigorous field-level and market research has focused on low-income markets across Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
Over the years we have helped fill knowledge gaps working in Policy Evaluation, Monitoring & Impact Assessment, Market Research, Data Analytics, and various academic researches. MSC’s in-house expertise in fields like Big Data Analytics, Data Modelling, and Machine Learning continues to influence policymakers, financial service providers, and think tanks around the world.
Watch this short video depicting MSC’s data insights consulting practice. 
Signature Projects
The Agent Network Accelerator (ANA) program identifies the factors responsible for the success or failure of specific agent networks across the world. Our ANA partners comprise leading providers, including M-Pesa, MTN, Orange, Vodafone, Tigo, Airtel, BKash, and EasyPaisa, as well as the Gates Foundation and UNCDF. MSC teams analyze the data and produce country reports and customized business analytics. The ANA baseline research has been completed in 14 countries, while second-wave surveys have been completed in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
MSC conducted research on the use of digital financial services and the associated gender gap among the workers of ready-made garment (RMG) factories in India. The outputs from this research would help BSR refine its HERfinance program in India and further strengthen the outcomes for female garment workers. We shared the results with financial service providers, factories, brands, donors, NGOs, and other relevant technical experts who work towards financial inclusion.
MSC evaluated the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Fertilizer program of the Government of India. The objective of the assessment was to identify the issues and challenges with the implementation of DBT at the national level. The study provided the government with evidence to support decision-making at the policy level and provided solutions to improve implementation
MSC evaluated the impact of the PKH conditional cash transfer program—one of the largest social assistance programs in Indonesia managed by the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). The primary objective of the PKH program is to reduce the burden of expenditure on poor families and change their behavior towards accessing health, education, and other social welfare services. Our study evaluated the impact of PKH on the key welfare, health, and education indicators and provided recommendations to enhance the achievements of the program.
Given the rapid evolution of the digital credit landscape in Kenya, MSC conducted a research exercise to evaluate the progress and challenges in the sector. The study adopted various methods—secondary research, analytics of the supply-side data, demand-side qualitative research, and a mock application review. The final report of the study provided specific recommendations for the regulators, digital credit suppliers, and market facilitators to encourage a more responsible delivery of digital credit.
MSC conducted a study in two aspirational districts of India, which are poor performers in terms of socio-economic indicators. The objective was to analyze the current spread of banking services like banking agents, banks, and ATMs and provide recommendations to improve access to financial services. We explored the possibility of setting up new agents through the concept of agent segmentation to ensure agent viability. The study highlighted the effectiveness of using geospatial analysis and smart data collection techniques and illustrated the significance of local contexts in the adoption of a service area approach.
Corner shops in developing areas of the world exist at the intersection of two distinct vulnerable segments: microenterprises and low- and moderate-income (LMI) people. These small enterprises sell daily provisions, medicine, or airtime and often provide CICO services or salon services, among others. These corner shops transformed into an essential source of daily provisions during the lockdowns brought about by COVID-19.
