Published in The Busara Blog·6 days agoA partnership to teachTraining the next generation of behavioral scientists with the MIT Governance Lab — By Busara and MIT GOV/LAB In recent years, behavioral sciences, or ways to better understand determinants of human behavior, have emerged as a leading innovation across disciplines and sectors. These novel methods and data allow us to measure what incentivizes individual and group behavior to inform numerous interventions (e.g., targeted…Behavioral Science4 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Jul 21Meeting the markTesting communication campaigns using the Low-cost Message Testing Guide — By Monica Kay and Alina Ojha Precision is the tell of extraordinary marksmanship. However, it is preceded by numerous missed shots, form adjustment, choice of weapon, and the strength of character to keep shooting better. Precision, therefore, is a process of trial, error, and eventual victory. …Behavioral Economics4 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Jul 5What to look at when approaching family planning initiativesBy Pathfinder International (1) and Busara Center for Behavioral Economics (2) Imagine relationships in a world without the internet, smartphones, or Google. Our minds immediately go to a world of old movies where carrier pigeons were the messengers of love! …Family Planning5 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Jun 15Driving behavior change in the face of COVIDIs increasing access to reliable information effective? — By Edel Koki A decision alone is not enough, it must be an informed one. To achieve highly impactful decisions, one must have access to quality information, shared through the right reliable channels, and at the right time. Living through a global pandemic is one instance where quality information is…Smallholderfarmers4 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Apr 29Insurance bundled with loansMaximizing smallholder farmer uptake of insured loans — By Maryam Anike Yusuf — Associate, Busara Center for Behavioral Economics The need for agricultural insurance cannot be understated, and with a whopping 97% of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa being uninsured (as at 2018), accessibility is priority. To this end, bundling insurance with loans has become a popular choice. …Smallholderfarmers3 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Apr 7Digital credit’s impact potentialCan digital credit be a tool to reduce poverty — Digital credit remains out of reach for many people in developing nations, preventing them from realizing their full potential. Even with low overhead costs and the ability to reach the unbanked, there is still much to be done for digital credit to live up to expectations. In this final blog…Digital Credit5 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Mar 11Digital credit and genderUnderstanding gendered and other imbalances in digital credit — Misdirection in magic happens when a magician moves the audience in one direction to keep them from seeing or noticing something else. The key to misdirection is that the audience is unaware of it, and feels that its attention was precisely where it wanted it to be throughout the performance…Digital Credit3 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Mar 7Two truths and a lieAn experiment to evaluate behaviors in identifying online misinformation — By Ruth Canagarajah, Brenda Ogutu, Nelson Mũgĩ, Gideon Too and Lilian Njoro ‘Information pollution’, where facts and figures become a source of division in a society, has a huge impact on behavior, social cohesion, and public trust. When information is false or misleading but spread without the intent of harm…Information Pollution5 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Feb 21The cost and accessibility of digital creditFactors influencing the cost of digital credit in Kenya, Nigeria and India. — When that short-term emergency loan to cover your dentist’s fees is quite literally a click away, the last thing on your mind is the steep Annual Percentage Rate (APR), or interest rate, charged on the loan. When you take out a traditional loan, say through a bank, a longer repayment…Digital Credit4 min read
Published in The Busara Blog·Feb 4The true cost of quick cashExploring biases and barriers in digital credit — Digital credit — easily understood as lending through digital platforms and applications — has seen rapid uptake among consumers in recent years. Driven primarily by partnerships between mobile network operators and banks, the digital lending space is now swarmed with innovative offerings from new Fintech companies, micro-finance institutions, and non-bank…Digital Credit3 min read
