Promises and Pitfalls of Mobile Money in Afghanistan: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial

ABSTRACT Despite substantial interest in the potential for mobile money to positively impact the lives of the poor, little empirical evidence exists to substantiate these claims. In this paper, we present the results of a field experiment in Afghanistan that was designed to increase adoption of mobile money, and determine if such adoption led to measurable changes in the lives of the adopters. The specific intervention we evaluate is a mobile salary payment program, in which a random subset of individuals of a large firm were transitioned into receiving their regular salaries in mobile money rather than in cash. We separately analyze the impact of this transition on both the employer and the individual employees. For the employer, there were immediate and significant cost savings; in a dangerous physical environment, they were able to effectively shift the costs of managing their salary supply chain to the mobile phone operator. For individual employees, however, the results were more ambiguous. Individuals who were transitioned onto mobile salary payments were more likely to use mobile money, and there is evidence that these accounts were used to accumulate small balances that may be indicative of savings. However, we find little consistent evidence that mobile money had an immediate or significant impact on several key indicators of individual wealth or well-being. Taken together, these results suggest that while mobile salary payments may increase the efficiency and transparency of traditional systems, in the short run the benefits may be realized by those making the payments, rather than by those receiving them

Clustering users of public access venues: Analysis results featuring the Global Impact Study

This paper examines the application and subsequent findings from the use of cluster analysis on data from the Global Impact Study. Specifically focusing on the user survey data, the results successfully show that complex and interesting structure exists in this data. Making connections between features of the data is an exciting and integral part of analysis. Using cluster analysis as an exploratory analysis tool, additional insight is gained into the complicated relationship between usage patterns and perceived impact for users of public access venues. Additional insight is also gained into the ongoing debate about constructive uses of ICTs, and whether gaming and related activities have solely a detrimental effect. These findings are useful in providing insight beyond that gained by tables and crosstabs, and at the very least, suggest areas for discussion or further study. The data the cluster analysis was performed on and that is referenced in this paper can be found at tascha.uw.edu/publications/global-impact-study-user-survey-data-csv-format/

Iniciativa de Fomento de MOOC para el Desarrollo - Un estudio del uso de MOOC para el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral y profesional en Colombia, Filipinas y Sudáfrica

El aprendizaje en línea proporciona desde hace mucho tiempo, la esperanza de acceder a educación de calidad a cualquier persona, en cualquier parte del mundo. El reciente desarrollo de cursos en línea masivos abiertos (MOOC, por sus siglas en inglés) representa un nuevo y emocionante avance en este sentido, al ofrecer el desarrollo de habilidades profesionales y de enseñanza en los más altos niveles académicos. Hoy en día, cualquier persona con los recursos mínimos para acceder a Internet podría tomar un MOOC, a menudo de forma gratuita, impartidos por las principales universidades del mundo. En enero de 2015, se puso en marcha la Iniciativa de Fomento de MOOC para el Desarrollo (AMDI, por sus siglas en inglés) financiada por la Agencia de los Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID), en asociación con IREX, el programa TASCHA (Grupo de Tecnología y Cambio Social) de la universidad de Washington y CourseTalk. Los objetivos de la Iniciativa fueron tres: (1) Recopilar datos sobre el uso de cursos en línea masivos abiertos (MOOC) en países en desarrollo para comprender con mayor profundidad su potencial para mejorar las oportunidades de empleo; (2) Concientizar sobre MOOC a dirigentes políticos, empresarios y al público en general; y (3) Determinar los factores que podrían conducir a un mayor uso de MOOC y a tasas más elevadas de finalización de cursos en línea

Promises and Pitfalls of Mobile Money in Afghanistan: Evidence from a Randomized Control Trial

Despite substantial interest in the potential for mobile money to positively impact the lives of the poor, little empirical evidence exists to substantiate these claims. In this paper, we present the results of a field experiment in Afghanistan that was designed to increase adoption of mobile money, and determine if such adoption led to measurable changes in the lives of the adopters. The specific intervention we evaluate is a mobile salary payment program, in which a random subset of individuals of a large firm were transitioned into receiving their regular salaries in mobile money rather than in cash. We separately analyze the impact of this transition on both the employer and the individual employees. For the employer, there were immediate and significant cost savings; in a dangerous physical environment, they were able to effectively shift the costs of managing their salary supply chain to the mobile phone operator. For individual employees, however, the results were more ambiguous. Individuals who were transitioned onto mobile salary payments were more likely to use mobile money, and there is evidence that these accounts were used to accumulate small balances that may be indicative of savings. However, we find little consistent evidence that mobile money had an immediate or significant impact on several key indicators of individual wealth or well-being. Taken together, these results suggest that while mobile salary payments may increase the efficiency and transparency of traditional systems, in the short run the benefits may be realized by those making the payments, rather than by those receiving them

Public libraries connecting people for development: Findings from the Global Impact Study

Public libraries play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in multiple countries across different venue types. Using data from Botswana, Chile, and the Philippines, this report summarizes the study’s key findings with a focus on libraries, situating these venues in the context of national development, discussing some disputed issues, and providing recommendations for policymakers, library practitioners, and researchers. The results show that a central impact of public libraries is promoting digital inclusion, information access, and development of ICT skills through technology provision, particularly for marginalized populations and those who face challenges using and benefiting from computers and the internet. The data also suggest a number of library characteristics that are important to users and provide a unique public value, with both users and non-users reporting positive impacts and a willingness to pay to maintain the existence of public libraries

Namibia’s Regional Libraries: Interim Report of the Regional Study and Resource Center (RSRC) Evaluation

The Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) at the University of Washington’s Information School was commissioned by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to conduct a performance evaluation of Namibia’s regional libraries, officially called the Regional Study and Resource Centers (RSRC) Activity. The Activity included the construction of three regional libraries in underserved areas of Namibia in an effort to improve access to information resources, training materials and programs, and study facilities. The performance evaluation comprises a set of quantitative and qualitative data collection efforts and was designed to serve the needs of two major stakeholders, MCC and the Namibia Library and Archives Service (NLAS), as well as the citizens of Namibia and the United States for accountability purposes. This interim report is the second of three evaluation reports and focuses on RSRC operations, services, and usage.The evaluation was conducted with support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. foreign aid agency providing grants to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, and support institutions

Public libraries connecting people for development: Executive Summary

Public libraries play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in multiple countries across different venue types. Using data from Botswana, Chile, and the Philippines, this report summarizes the study’s key findings with a focus on libraries, situating these venues in the context of national development, discussing some disputed issues, and providing recommendations for policymakers, library practitioners, and researchers. The results show that a central impact of public libraries is promoting digital inclusion, information access, and development of ICT skills through technology provision, particularly for marginalized populations and those who face challenges using and benefiting from computers and the internet. The data also suggest a number of library characteristics that are important to users and provide a unique public value, with both users and non-users reporting positive impacts and a willingness to pay to maintain the existence of public libraries

Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter

Libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in eight countries: Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, the Philippines, and South Africa. This report summarizes the study’s key findings, situating public access in the context of national development, discussing some disputed issues, and providing recommendations for policymakers, public access practitioners and researchers. The results show that a central impact of public access is the promotion of digital inclusion through technology access, information access, and development of ICT skills. Both users and non-users report positive impacts in various social and economic areas of their lives.The Global Impact Study was implemented by the University of Washington's Technology & Social Change Group with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and a grant to IDRC from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more at globalimpactstudy.org

Connecting people for development: Why public access ICTs matter: Executive Summary

Libraries, telecenters, and cybercafés play a critical role in extending the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to a diverse range of people worldwide. However, their ability to contribute to development agendas has come into question in recent times. The Global Impact Study was designed to address this debate by generating evidence about the scale, character, and impacts of public access ICTs in eight countries: Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, the Philippines, and South Africa. This report summarizes the study’s key findings, situating public access in the context of national development, discussing some disputed issues, and providing recommendations for policymakers, public access practitioners and researchers. The results show that a central impact of public access is the promotion of digital inclusion through technology access, information access, and development of ICT skills. Both users and non-users report positive impacts in various social and economic areas of their lives.The Global Impact Study was implemented by the University of Washington's Technology & Social Change Group with support from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and a grant to IDRC from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

MOOCS: A Guide for Educators

The potential of online learning has long afforded the hope of providing quality education to anyone, anywhere in the world. The recent development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) heralded an exciting new breakthrough by providing free academic instruction and professional skills development from the world’s leading universities to anyone with the sufficient resources to access the internet. The research in Advancing MOOCs for Development Initiative study was designed to analyze the MOOC landscape in developing countries and to better understand the motivations of MOOC users and afford insights on the advantages and limitations of MOOCs for workforce development outcomes. The key findings of this study challenge commonly held beliefs about MOOC usage in developing countries, defying typical characterizations of how people in resource constrained settings use technology for learning and employment. In fact, some of the findings are so contrary to what has been reported in the U.S. and other developed environments that they raise new questions for further investigation