2 Financial Services for the Poor Data Collection and Information Management for Microfinance: Global Movement Microfinance: Global Movement Rural Development – – Grameen Bank & Muhammad Yunus Grameen Bank & Muhammad Yunus – – 2006 Nobel Prize 2006 Nobel Prize Self- Self -Help Groups (SHGs) Help Groups (SHGs) - - ROSCAs, ASCAs, Village Bank, etc. ROSCAs, ASCAs, Village Bank, etc. – – Collect savings during meetings Collect savings during meetings – Use capital for small loans – Use capital for small loans – Business, livestock, education, health care, etc. – Business, livestock, education, health care, etc. – – Repayment based on peer pressure Repayment based on peer pressure Decentralize Decentralize financial service provision financial service provision Tapan S. Parikh School of Information | UC Berkeley http://ischool.berkeley.edu/~parikh | parikh@berkeley.edu 3 4 Linking Formal and Informal Information can be the Bridge Information can bridge the divide Information can bridge the divide SHGs are being linked to banks SHGs are being linked to banks – – Connect the formal and the informal Connect the formal and the informal � � Access more credit at better rates Access more credit at better rates – Provide oversight and understanding for SHGs – Provide oversight and understanding for SHGs � � Other services (insurance, investment, savings, etc.) Other services (insurance, investment, savings, etc.) – Provide credit ratings and risk analysis for banks – Provide credit ratings and risk analysis for banks � Local intermediation can reduce cost of service � Local intermediation can reduce cost of service – Result: SHGs get better rates for better performance – Result: SHGs get better rates for better performance � Excellent repayment performance (90 � Excellent repayment performance (90- -98%) 98%) Can we design a system for SHGs to aggregate data? Can we design a system for SHGs to aggregate data? However, many obstacles Parikh However, many obstacles Parikh - - ICTD ICTD 2006 2006 – – Accessible to users Accessible to users � Spread across remote rural areas � Spread across remote rural areas – Accurate and efficient – Accurate and efficient � � Limited education, infrastructure, financial capacity Limited education, infrastructure, financial capacity � Documentation practices are inconsistent – – Intermittent power, connectivity Intermittent power, connectivity � Documentation practices are inconsistent � Difficult to assess credit risk and make decisions – – Generalizes to other applications Generalizes to other applications � Difficult to assess credit risk and make decisions $$ v Info SHGs Banks 5 6 Design for Rural Users Step 1: Understand Investigate interface design space for rural users Investigate interface design space for rural users – – SHG members and supporting staff SHG members and supporting staff – – Some may be semi Some may be semi- -literate or illiterate literate or illiterate – Use SHG data collection as sample application Use SHG data collection as sample application – Only previous work was Grisedale et al., CHI 1997 Only previous work was Grisedale et al., CHI 1997 – – Data collection for rural health care workers in Rajasthan Data collection for rural health care workers in Rajasthan – – Using Apple Newton Using Apple Newton We used laptop / PC for maximum flexibility We used laptop / PC for maximum flexibility – – Not considering real deployment issues Not considering real deployment issues 2002-3 1
contextual study prototype testing design iteration 12 Design Guidelines for Rural Users Parikh et al. - ACM CHI 2003, ACM CUU 2003 (Best Paper) Two- Two -month iterative design study conducted in a village month iterative design study conducted in a village 32 rural users - 32 rural users - farm laborers (10 semi or illiterate) farm laborers (10 semi or illiterate) � � Paper formats are important Paper formats are important � Local language audio builds trust � Local language audio builds trust � � Numeric input/output is accessible Numeric input/output is accessible � Guide the user through the task � Guide the user through the task � � Realistic icons are better Realistic icons are better 2
13 14 1) Agents - Rural Service Providers Step 2: Build Agent Model: Provide services through local intermediaries Agent Model: Provide services through local intermediaries – Employ underemployed youth and women Employ underemployed youth and women – – Convenient for users / clients (travel is hard!) Convenient for users / clients (travel is hard!) – – Common motif for many services Common motif for many services – • Primary health care • Primary health care • Retail supply chains Retail supply chains • • Agriculture • Agriculture • Communications, etc. • Communications, etc. – In microfinance, {bank, NGO} field staff collect info, repayment In microfinance, {bank, NGO} field staff collect info, repayments & s & – deliver reports deliver reports 2004-5 Villages Agents Services 15 16 2) Mobile Phones 3) Paper User Interfaces Mobile phones are the perfect client device Mobile phones are the perfect client device Leverage affordances of paper in digital UIs Leverage affordances of paper in digital UIs – Exponential growth across developing world Exponential growth across developing world – – XAX, Digital Desk, A XAX, Digital Desk, A- -Book, Paper PDA, Cooltown, Books with Book, Paper PDA, Cooltown, Books with – – Numeric Keypad, Speakers & Microphone Numeric Keypad, Speakers & Microphone Voices, etc. – Voices, etc. – Intermittent network, Battery Intermittent network, Battery- -operated, Low operated, Low- -cost cost – However, thus far these approaches have had limited impact However, thus far these approaches have had limited impact – Supports Agent – Supports Agent- -based service model based service model Rural developing world could be the killer application Rural developing world could be the killer application Problems and Limitations Problems and Limitations – Small screen: adapted WIMP metaphor Small screen: adapted WIMP metaphor – – – Familiarity with paper formats Familiarity with paper formats – Numeric keypad: text entry is difficult Numeric keypad: text entry is difficult – – Offset high technology cost by performing some operations on Offset high technology cost by performing some operations on – – Difficult to program applications Difficult to program applications – paper “ “client client” ” paper source: grameen-info.org 17 CAM: Application Toolkit for Mobile Phones Parikh et al. - IEEE Pervasive 2005, WWW 2006 CAMBrowser CAMBrowser CAMForms mobile phone app mobile phone app interactive paper forms to process forms to process forms <function name=”a_click”> d = input_date(“Date”, “date.wav”); i = input_int(“Interest”, “int.wav”); p = input_int(“Principal”, “pri.wav”); if (d & p & i) CAMScript http_put(“...”); </function> scripting language for form interaction 3
Barcode Detection Barcode Detection - - Rohs Rohs 23 24 CAM: Key Features CAM: Data Flow in Microfinance Framework for SHG data collection and reporting Tight linkage to paper practices Tight linkage to paper practices Framework for SHG data collection and reporting – – Retain paper as the authoritative local record Retain paper as the authoritative local record Increased transparency within SHG Increased transparency within SHG – Avoid abstract, menu – Avoid abstract, menu- -driven interaction driven interaction Improved documentation when applying for loans Improved documentation when applying for loans – Not optimizing for local labor – Not optimizing for local labor – – don't need OCR! don't need OCR! Provide new services to members (e.g. flexible savings) Provide new services to members (e.g. flexible savings) Simple, scripted programming model Simple, scripted programming model – – Easy to program and use Easy to program and use ekgaon.com Multimedia Input & Output Multimedia Input & Output – – Capture audio and images instead of text Capture audio and images instead of text Disconnected Operation Disconnected Operation – Transfer data using SMS, MMS, Email (and HTTP) – Transfer data using SMS, MMS, Email (and HTTP) <function name=”a_click”> date = input_date(“Enter Date” “date.wav”); amt = input_int(“Enter Amount”, “amount.wav”); message_note(“Say your name”,”sayname.wav”); record_audio(“name.wav”); email(“tap2k@yahoo.com”, “a=”#amt, “name.wav”); </function> 4
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