Helping Communities Manage risks from the ground up.
Impact Assessment
Research + Advocacy
Project Title:Facilitation of the Microinsurance Network's (MiN's) Impact Working Group
PROJECT CATEGORY:Research + Advocacy
OBJECTIVE:
MIA is the facilitator of the Microinsurance Network (MiN) Impact Working Group, an international team of more than 20 experts in impact assessment. In this role, MIA leads the Working Group's three-year work plan with the goal of increasing the quantity and quality of evidence surrounding the impact of microinsurance.
BACKGROUND:
Despite a rise in interest and funding in microinsurance, little high-quality evidence exists on its impact. Nor does the microinsurance community have evidence on which interventions are the most effective and in which contexts.
The MiN, a member-based organization of more than 200 practitioners, policymakers, donors, and researchers interested in microinsurance, has created the Impact Working Group to address this gap in the evidence. For 2009-2010, MIA was awarded a full-time fellow from the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Microinsurance Innovation Facility to assist in the coordination of these activities. The fellowship has concluded in January 2011.
PROJECT CONCEPT:
MIA carries out the three core activities that the Impact Working Group has identified in its work plan:
- Systematic review: MIA is conducting a review of all existing evidence on the impact of microinsurance to determine (1) which gaps exist in the evidence, if any, and (2) which lessons may be drawn across the evidence for the microinsurance community.
- Stocktaking of ongoing impact assessments: MIA continually identifies ongoing impact assessments of microinsurance and profiles them in an online clearinghouse (http://www.microinsurancenetwork.org/workinggroup/impact/stocktaking.php)
- Practical Guide to Impact Assessments of Microinsurance: MIA is coordinating production of a “practical guide” to impact assessments of microinsurance targeted to a non-academic audience. The guide will be a compilation of chapters authored by experts in both the microinsurance and impact assessment world.
PARTNERS:
MIA coordinates the activities in conjunction with MiN (Luxemburg) and its partners within the Impact Working Group.
FUNDING:
MiN has provided seed funding for the launch of the working group's activities. Additional funding is being called for - please contact Heidi McGowan for more information (heidi@mia.org.in).
DURATION:2009-2012
COUNTRY:International
LOCATION:
The coordination is carried out from Delhi, India
CONTACT:Heidi McGowan, Researcher, heidi@mia.org.in
PROGRESS:
The systematic review is ongoing, with preliminary results presented at the 5th Annual Microinsurance Conference in Dakar, Senegal (access them here)
The stocktaking website is online and regularly updated. Access it here.
MIA is currently focusing on the production of a Practical Guide. MIA has successfully recruited several high-profile experts in impact assessment and is in the process of finding more. We are also currently fundraising for this project.
