DANIDA in Tanzanian microfinance

The commercial bank CDRB gives out loans to microfinance institutions. Its microfinance program, and it’s general restructuring is supported by DANIDA. As they write:

“CRDB has been blessed with an invaluable partnership from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).”

Interesting phrasing.

Bertel Haarder on microfinance (in Danish)

Bertel Haarder har skrevet en kronik i JP om mikrofinans. LÆs den her.

What Thesis?

Currently, and most of the spring 2006, I will be narrowing down and defining the exact topic of my thesis. Since I am also occupied by various other tasks, I will start the real thesis work in May.

The overall topic is implementation of microfinance programs. A possible research question could be: Which conditions are specifically important for the successful implementation of microfinance programs?

The background for this question is the large of practitioner’s literature, which tries to seek out the best practices for microfinance. However, there seems to be no ‘best practice.’ Different places, different tools. The problem then is if which practice is best where. No one size fits all – but how to determine which size fits where?

One way of looking at this question is by examining societal variables influence on microfinance implementation. This again can be done quantitatively, qualitatively or – perhaps preferably – both.

I have to write 100 pages within the field of political science, which at my department tends to be intepreted rather narrowly. There is no deadline, formally speaking.

Possibilities on the Web

Need a website? Need your own wikipedia? Got an IT-friend but no money?

Tjeck this out:

A very friendly consultant has recently published a nice report on online Open Source tools.

More literature

Here is a list of literatures on mikrofinance, which I have compiled. Additions are welcome!

Arun, Thankom (2005), "Regulating for development: the case of microfinance" i Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, vol. 45, nr. May, pp. 346.

Aryeetey, Ernest (2005), "Informal Finance for Private Sector Development in Sub-Saharan Africa" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 7, nr. Summer, pp. 13.

Barefoot, Jo Ann S (2005), "Lending as miracle medicine" i American Bankers Association. ABA Banking Journal, vol. 97, nr. Feb, pp. 12.

Barry, Nancy (2000), Similarities in Microfinance Worldwide, IDB Microenterprise Forum, Barcelona, Spain.

Baumann, Ted (2005), "Pro-poor Microcredit in South Africa: Cost-efficiency and Productivity of South African Pro-poor Microfinance Institutions" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 7, nr. Summer, pp. 95.

Buss, Terry F (2005), "Microcredit in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Symposium" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 7, nr. Summer, pp. 1.

Chamlee-Wright, Emily (2005), "Fostering Sustainable Complexity in the Microfinance Industry: Which Way Forward?" i Economic Affairs, vol. 25, nr. Jun, pp. 5.

Chowdhury, Mushtaque; Paul Mosley et al. (2004), "Introduction" i Journal of International Development, vol. 16, nr. Apr, pp. 291.

Cohen, Monique (2002), "Making microfinance more client-led" i Journal of International Development, vol. 14, nr. Apr, pp. 335.

Czarniawska-Joerges, Barbara og Guje Sevón (1996), Translating organizational change, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin ; New York.

Doocy, Shannon; Dan Norell et al. (2005), "Outcomes of an Ethiopian Microfinance Program and Management Actions to Improve Services" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 7, nr. Summer, pp. 79.

Dorado, Silvia og Rick Molz (2005), "Co-Evolution of Boards of Directors in Microfinance Organizations: The Case of Bancosol and Los Andes" i Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, vol. 10, nr. Aug, pp. 99.

Dowla, Asif Ud (2004), "Microleasing" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Winter, pp. 137.

Dyck, Bruno (2002), "Organizational learning, microfinance, and replication: The case of MEDA in Bolivia" i Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, vol. 7, nr. Dec, pp. 361.

Elahi, Khandakar Q og Constantine P Danopoulos (2004), "Microfinance and Third World Development: A Critical Analysis" i Journal of Political and Military Sociology, vol. 32, nr. Summer, pp. 61.

Gingrich, Chris D (2004), "Community-Based Savings and Credit Cooperatives in Nepal: A Sustainable Means for Microfinance Delivery?" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Summer, pp. 21.

Hollis, Aidan og Arthur Sweetman (2001), "The life-cycle of a microfinance institution: The Irish loan funds" i Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, vol. 46, nr. Nov, pp. 291.

Johnson, Susan (2004), "The impact of microfinance institutions in local financial markets: a case study from Kenya" i Journal of International Development, vol. 16, nr. Apr, pp. 501.

Koveos, Peter og Dipinder Randhawa (2004), "Financial Services for the Poor: Assessing Microfinance Institutions" i Managerial Finance, vol. 30, pp. 70.

Labie, Marc (2001), "Corporate governance in microfinance organizations: A long and winding road" i Management Decision, vol. 39, pp. 296.

Lashley, Jonathan G (2004), "Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation in the Caribbean: A Strategic Overview" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Summer, pp. 83.

Marr, Ana (2003), "A challenge to the orthodoxy concerning microfinance and poverty reduction" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 5, nr. 2.

Matin, Imran; David Hulme et al. (2002), "Finance for the poor: from microcredit to microfinancial services" i Journal of International Development, vol. 14, nr. Mar, pp. 273.

McIntosh, Craig; Alain de Janvry et al. (2005), "How Rising Competition among Microfinance Institutions Affects Incumbent Lenders" i The Economic Journal, vol. 115, nr. Oct, pp. 987.

MIX (2002), MicroBanking Bulletin nr. 8, Washinton.

Morduch, Jonathan (1999), "The role of subsidies in microfinance: Evidence from the Grameen Bank" i Journal of Development Economics, vol. 60, nr. Oct, pp. 229.

Morris, Gayle og Carolyn Barnes (2005), "An Assessment of the Impact of Microfinance: A Case Study from Uganda" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 7, nr. Summer, pp. 39.

Mosley, Paul og June Rock (2004), "Microfinance, labour markets and poverty in Africa: a study of six institutions" i Journal of International Development, vol. 16, nr. Apr, pp. 467.

Navajas, Sergio; Jonathan Conning et al. (2003), "Lending technologies, competition and consolidation in the market for microfinance in Bolivia" i Journal of International Development, vol. 15, nr. Aug, pp. 747.

Park, Albert og Changqing Ren (2001), "Microfinance with Chinese characteristics" i World Development, vol. 29, nr. Jan, pp. 39.

Patten, Richard H; Jay K Rosengard et al. (2001), "Microfinance success amidst macroeconomic failure: The experience of Bank Rakyat Indonesia during the East Asian crisis" i World Development, vol. 29, nr. Jun, pp. 1057.

Pawlak, Katarzyna og Michal Matul (2004), "Realizing Mission Objectives" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Winter, pp. 1.

Porter, Elizabeth (2004), "Building Businesses with Small Producers: Successful Business Development Services in Africa, Asia, and Latin America" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Summer, pp. 123.

Pretes, Michael (2002), "Microequity and microfinance" i World Development, vol. 30, nr. Aug, pp. 1341.

Sahlin-Andersson, Kerstin (1996), "Imitating by Editing Success: The Construction of Organization Fields" i B. Czarniawska-Joerges og G. Sevón, Translating organizational change, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin ; New York, pp. xii, 284 p.

Schreiner, Mark (2002), "Aspects of outreach: a framework for discussion of the social benefits of microfinance" i Journal of International Development, vol. 14, nr. Jul, pp. 591.

Singh, Naresh (2004), "The Miracles of Barefoot Capitalism: A Compelling Case for Microcredit" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Summer, pp. 127.

Sriram, M S og Rajesh S Upadhyayula (2004), "The Transformation of the Microfinance Sector in India" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Winter, pp. 89.

Tucker, Michael og Gerard Miles (2004), "Financial Performance of Microfinance Institutions: A Comparison to Performance of Regional Commercial Banks by Geographic Regions" i Journal of Microfinance, vol. 6, nr. Summer, pp. 41.

Wright, Katie og James Copestake (2004), "Impact assessment of microfinance using qualitative data: communicating between social scientists and practitioners using the QUIP" i Journal of International Development, vol. 16, nr. Apr, pp. 355.