This document summarizes a summer training project conducted by the author at Project Concern International. It discusses the goals and work of PCI, which focuses on health and development issues. During the training, the author conducted field visits, research, report writing, and deployed questionnaires. The project evaluated a mobile application used by microfinance institutions in India to provide services to loan officers and clients. Key findings showed that most officers used the app successfully but some had technical issues. Recommendations included improving network connectivity, expanding the app for clients, and providing more support. The training provided valuable experience in research, reporting, and analyzing the use of mobile technology in development.

1. Summer training in
Project Concern International
Koushik Sevana Raju
Roll No. 37
IIHMR - PGDHM

2. About PCI
• Non profit health and humanitarian aid
organisation
• Mission
– Prevent disease
– Improve community health
– Promote sustainable development
• Areas of focus
– HIV/AIDS
– Polio eradication
– Orphaned and vulnerable children
– Economic empowerment of women

3. What did I do in PCI
• Field visits
– Drop in centres at Nizammudin and Red Fort
• Secondary research
• Facilitated in report writing
• Questionnaire deployment
• Attended training for microfinance mobile
application

4. Key learning
• Development of a research proposal
• Proper report writing skills
• Formulation of a structured questionnaire
• Data analysis skills
• Practical exposure – Out of classroom experience

5. Project title
A STUDY ON CONNECTING INDIA IN
DISCONNECTING POVERTY – AN EVALUATION
OF THE MICROFINANCE MOBILE
APPLICATION

6. Introduction
• Microfinance Institutions [MFI]
• Need for microfinance in India
• Loan officers
• Mobile technology in India
• Connecting India to disconnect poverty [CIDP]

7. Problem Statement
• Shortfalls in MFI operations
– Manual work
– Time consuming
– High operational costs
Rationale
• Gap between the clients and MFI
• Mobile as a medium for information exchange
• Customize microfinance mobile services

8. Review of Literature
• Katsushi Imai et al [2006]
– “Can microcredit help improve the health of poor
women?”
• Healthcare delivery information
• Dr. Anita Mehta
– “Rural women entrepreneurship in India” – Its challenges
• Ignorance of new technology
• Lack of technological infrastructure
• WHO [2011]
– “New horizons for health through mobile technologies”
• Evaluation is necessary for better quality results

9. Study Objectives
• General Objective
– To do a midline evaluation of the CIDP microfinance
mobile application in Pondicherry
• Specific Objectives
– To analyze the mobile behaviour of loan officers
– To find out the compatibility of the loan officers with the
mobile application
– To figure out the main challenges of the technical
aspects of the application

10. Methodology
Study design
Cross sectional study
Study location
REAL microfinance services, Pondicherry
Sampling technique
• Ten loan officers were investigated [Study population]
• Total number of application users in existence are only
ten
• These ten are appropriate for the study and have the
expertise in this area

11. Tools
Questionnaire – Close ended
Variables
• Age and education of loan officers
• Number of clients
• Number of villages covered
• Finance related information
Questionnaire deployment
• MFI mobile application training at PCI
• Questionnaire converted into Tamil
• Hard copy received and analyzed

12. KEY FINDINGS
• 80% of officers have a
client number of more than
500 members
• 50% LO‟s are less than 30
years old
• No loan officer is illiterate
– 50% officers are graduates
• 80% of respondents use
mobile internet
8
2
Internet datapack
usage
Yes
No

13. • Only 2 officers were
fully satisfied by
network coverage
• 2 LO‟s use the
application in Tamil
• 90% of the officers are
satisfied with the
medium of
communication
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Never Upto
25%
areas
26% -
50%
areas
> 50%
areas
Difficulty in network coverage
Loan Officers

14. • 90% of LO‟s received
the transaction
updates without fail
• 70% claim that the
mobile information
matches with manual
records
• 70% responded
positively for faster
information exchange
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Yes No Not sure
Faster exchange of information

15. Technical aspects
• 90% say fonts are clear
• Technical errors in
60% of the
respondents
• 70% claim the
application never faced
a fallout
• None of the
respondents were
dissatisfied 0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Moderately
satisfied
Satisfied Extremely
satisfied
Satifaction levels of loan officers

16. Discussion
Challenges met
• Reduced average time
spent for a client
– [5 min per client
usually]
• Less distance travelled
– [20 kms on an average
- earlier]
• Sufficient training
• Proper follow up
• High motivation levels
Opportunities
• Network coverage – not
satisfactory
• Installation issues for the
local language version
• Different terminologies
from manual records
• Good reach in rural areas
by MFI
• LO‟s interested in learning
the application

17. Recommendations
• Sim card compatibility
– Enhance connectivity
• Mobile application for clients
• Full module of the application
• Frequent follow up
• Implementing in GSM and android mobiles
• IT department to be accountable

18. References
• NABARD 2009-10, „Status of Microfinance in India 2009-
10”, Head office Bandra Mumbai, pp. I,IV.
• Ganapathy and Aditi Ravindra (2008) Bellagio Italy
“mHealth: A Potential Tool for Health Care Delivery in India”
Making the e-Health connection PP 2-3.
• Atanu Garai (2011) “Role of mHealth in rural health in India
and opportunities for collaboration” ICCP Technology
Foresight Forum: Developments in Mobile
Communication, Paris, pp 1 and 4.
• Tiwari P (2010) School of Population Health, University of
Auckland, New zealand “Providing healthcare services in
rural India: Innovative application of mobile technology”
Health Care and Informatics Review Online Vol.14, No.2, pp
3-9.

19. THANK YOU