Financial Sector Deepening Zambia (FSD Zambia) contracted MSC to conduct a digital readiness assessment (DRA) on behalf of the Smart Zambia Institute. The Smart Zambia Institute is also known as the Electronic Government (e-Gov). It is a division in the Office of the President that manages and promotes electronic government services and processes. It also facilitates access to e-Gov services to improve service delivery and enhance citizens’ access to government service, coordination of e-Gov, and information and communication technology-related matters in public bodies.
The DRA assessed policies and regulations to promote digital G2P adoption. The MSC team worked with key policy, regulatory, and legal bodies throughout the DRA to collect and analyze data from diverse stakeholders. We conducted the assessment across multiple phases, which included desk research, expert interviews, multi-stakeholder consultative workshops, reporting, and presentation.
The DRA involved a comprehensive G2P assessment of all benefit programs countrywide. It developed a set of recommendations to digitize G2P programs and catalyze financial inclusion in the country. The assessment led to the drafting of high-level operational guidelines. These guidelines focused on the design of a digital G2P and P2G mechanism for Zambia’s Farmer Input Support Program (FISP), FISP weather insurance, social security payments, and school fees.
The DRA report helped the government of Zambia prioritize solutions for digitized G2P payments and create a digital transformation roadmap for the solutions.
FSD Zambia commissioned the project.
Under the JSPVAT initiative, MSC engaged with 27 farmer producer companies (FPCs) involved in agriculture and livestock in India’s Bihar state. The project’s primary objective was to elevate the quality of services available to smallholder farmers and facilitate their economic transformation. JSPVAT started in 2020 to support JEEViKA—the Bihar state government’s rural livelihoods project.
Under JSPVAT, we sought to bolster the financial viability and self-sustainability of these FPCs, which would empower them to cater to the needs of marginal female farmers statewide. MSC offered strategic and operational consulting services to support JEEViKA, a State Rural Livelihoods Mission in the state. We provided technical expertise and enhanced operational efficiencies to increase the profitability of agriculture for Bihar’s farmers.
MSC played a crucial role to establish an overarching brand called “Green Delights” and associated stores for JEEViKA FPCs. This initiative empowered rural women to tap into premium markets through effective branding, improved packaging, and FPC-owned modern retail outlets.
So far, MSC has successfully facilitated the linkages of more than 36,000 metric tons of various commodities and 8,000 metric tons of agricultural inputs with 22 different agri-input market players. Our efforts benefited Bihar’s smallholder farmers.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
MSC provided technical assistance to Bank Sinarmas to develop a finance product on the beef value chain for cattle farmers in Tuban, East Java. MSC conducted the product’s pre-pilot review, developed operational processes, created a credit risk-monitoring tool, and provided recommendations for scale-up.
Bank Sinarmas launched the product in December 2016. By April 2017, the product had successfully disbursed 56 loans worth IDR 4.24 billion (USD 318,000) to 49 farmers in Tuban Regency.
At the end of 2017, Bank Sinarmas had plans to disburse 346 loans worth IDR 26.3 billion (USD 1.9 million). The bank also intended to offer a similar product in other geographies.
The Australia Indonesia Partnership for Rural Economic Development program (AIP-Rural) commissioned the assignment through the Strengthening Agricultural Finance in Rural Areas (SAFIRA) project. The SAFIRA project ran for three years and received support from a rural economic development partnership between the governments of Indonesia and Australia.
MSC undertook a mixed-methods study to evaluate the Government of India’s Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) programs’ impact on female beneficiaries. MSC interviewed 4,000 beneficiaries across 12 Indian states to fill their knowledge gaps.
MSC uncovered significant insights into the relationship between DBT funds and women’s empowerment. Women with more agency over financial decisions reported better access to DBT funds and their use. The research also highlighted positive correlations between DBT funds and increased availability of women’s time.
MSC’s research and analysis led to actionable policy recommendations. The proposed policy changes sought to enhance women’s access to critical DBT programs and promote their effective use. MSC presented these recommendations to the Government of India and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
The Indian government’s Soil Health Card (SHC) program seeks to enhance soil quality in agricultural land through education of farmers on proper fertilizer use. MSC undertook a comprehensive behavioral study to identify barriers and triggers that influence SHCs’ adoption alongside a nationwide study to evaluate beneficiaries’ awareness, accessibility, and program usage.
MSC used a mixed-methods study design and employed qualitative and quantitative research components. For the qualitative research, the MSC team interacted with 150 farmers and officials from the districts’ soil testing labs and agriculture departments. It surveyed more than 11,000 farmers using a cross-sectional design and multistage stratified random sampling for the quantitative research.
The findings from MSC’s study shed light on crucial aspects of the SHC program. They revealed that farmers had low awareness and limited access to SHCs, which led to a lack of understanding about the program’s purpose. Based on these findings, MSC recommended the implementation of a “local ecosystem” approach to enhance the program’s effectiveness. This approach sought to offer near real-time soil health analysis and specialized advisory services to encourage SHCs’ uptake.
In response to MSC’s recommendations, the Indian government launched a pilot program called “Development of Model Villages.” This initiative tested 2.3 million soil samples in 7,000 villages, which showcased a proactive step to improve the program’s impact.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the project.
The Government of India (GoI) announced a relief package worth INR 1.70 lakh crores (USD 22.4 billion) as part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) in response to COVID-19 and the countrywide lockdowns. In this context, MSC conducted a pan-India study to gauge the effectiveness of the GoI’s interventions for vulnerable segments, particularly under the PMGKY, and inform the government of the on-ground situation. The study measured the impact of government interventions, gauged effectiveness, assessed beneficiary capabilities, and informed policy decisions.
The study comprised three rounds. The first round covered 5,531 beneficiary households in 18 states and union territories in April and May 2020. It used a computer-aided telephonic interview (CATI) system to collect quantitative data and telephonic interviews with middle-mile service providers. MSC provided three services in the assignment:
- Surveyed beneficiaries in 18 states and union territories to gather information about their benefits and feedback on the government program, including their issues, pain points, and expectations.
- Surveyed middle-mile service providers to assess their efforts to implement the government program.
- Documented and analyzed the findings and shared reports, which included recommendations, with the relevant ministries.
The major findings of the study were:
- 83% of surveyed households reported loss of income during the lockdown, but swift government support through cash (PM KISAN, PMJDY, and NSAP), free rations (PDS), and fuel (PMUY) provided much-needed relief to poor households
- 91% of households reported they received food support under the PDS during the lockdown.
- Although the GoI transferred cash advances electronically to almost all PMUY beneficiaries, only 57% of the eligible households reported receiving the advance amount. 72% reported buying cylinders during the lockdown.
- Banks (67%) were the preferred withdrawal channel for households despite being farthest from home.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation commissioned the project.