Project Updates

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Meeting with Naila Kabeer- London, UK December, 2008

Naila Kabeer consultant to BDI is working with BDI staff to conduct qualitative research on a select number of beneficiaries in India and Pakistan as a part of the CGAP-Ford global graduation program. The purpose of the research is to complement existing quantitative research and better understand how the poorest improve their economic and social conditions and lead sustainable economic activities. The purpose of the meeting was for BDI staff: Syed M. Hashemi, Karishma Huda, Nicolina Lamhauge to meet with Naila Kabeer and establish a research agenda for the next 12 months. Researchers at BDI will follow the lives of program beneficiaries over a period of 12 months.

Global Workshop - Kolkata, India. April 28- May 1, 2008

The Graduation Initiative held its first global workshop in Kolkata, India. Workshop participants included: pilots from Pakistan, Haiti, Honduras, Ethiopia and India. Also Ford Foundation, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), ImpAct from IDS and BRAC, in total there were more than 40 participants.  The primary objectives included a sharing of experiences, the progress made, the challenges confronting each pilot and the lessons learned.  The impact assessment team, both the qualitative assessment team from IDS and the Yale team, conducting randomized control trials, were present to explain how the impact assessments were being carried out and how the feedback could help improve performance of the pilots.

The workshop included three days of intensive discussions, a full day trip and many side meetings amongst different groups of participants.

The major areas of discussion included:

• The concept of graduation 
• Targeting
• Consumption stipend
• Asset transfer
• Client monitoring systems
• Linkages with other sector
• Savings services
• Impact assessment 

The workshop demonstrated the great excitement amongst pilots in the realisation that we were collectively engaged in cutting edge work that would influence development discourse in a significant way.  Everyone was determined to make their pilots succeed and thrilled at making connections with others engaged in confronting the same challenges.