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General

Study Overview

Title:

Mozambique Mobile Money Feasibility Study

Study is 3ie funded:

No

Study ID:

RIDIE-STUDY-ID-5239bdfeeeef2

Initial Registration Date:

09/18/2013

Last Update Date:

09/18/2013

Study Status:

Ongoing

Location(s):

Mozambique

Abstract:

This feasibility study is designed to inform an upcoming impact evaluation of mobile money technology adoption in Mozambique. In this phase we test the impact of two different modes of encouragement to farmers on the take-up and use of cellphone banking services as well as savings and investment in agricultural inputs. We test two specific modes of encouragement: 1) Bonus scheme - Farmers will be offered a bonus (an interest rate akin to standard Mozambique savings rates) for average balanced in their mobile savings account; and 2) Discount - Farmers are offered a discounted price to purchase agricultural inputs if pre-paid through their mobile savings account; relative to a control group which was introduced to mobile money but received no additional encouragement to use the product.

Registration Citation:

Brauw, A.D., 2013. Mozambique Mobile Money Feasibility Study. Registry for International Development Impact Evaluations (RIDIE). Available at: https://doi.org/10.23846/ridie004

Categories:

Information and Communications Technology

Additional Keywords:

cellphone banking, agricultural inputs, savings

Secondary ID Number(s):

Principal Investigator(s)

Name of First PI:

Alan De Brauw

Affiliation:

IFPRI

Name of Second PI:

Affiliation:

Study Sponsor

Study Sponsor Location:

United States

Intervention

Intervention Overview

Intervention:

In a sample of rural farmers in Northern Mozambique we test two modes of encouraging mobile banking services to increase savings and improve investments in appropriate agricultural inputs. We test two specific modes of encouragement to use mobile banking: 1) Bonus scheme - Farmers will be offered a bonus (an interest rate akin to standard Mozambique savings rates) on the average balance over a 3 month period in their mobile savings account (no minimum balance required); and 2) Discount - Farmers are offered a discounted price to purchase agricultural inputs if pre-paid through their mobile savings account; relative to a control group which was introduced to mobile money but received no additional encouragement to use the product. We work with Kambeny Financial Services on the mobile banking component and IKURU (a farmers cooperative, http://www.ikuru.org/) on the agricultural inputs component.

Theory of Change:

Multiple Treatment Arms Evaluated?

Yes

Implementing Agency

Type of Organization:

Other

Intervention Timing

Intervention or Program Started at time of Registration?

Yes

Start Date:

08/12/2013

End Date:

12/31/2013

Evaluation Method

Evaluation Method Overview

Primary (or First) Evaluation Method:

Randomized control trial

Other (not Listed) Method:

Additional Evaluation Method (If Any):

Other (not Listed) Method:

Method Details

Details of Evaluation Approach:

We select 14 farmers groups, and conduct individual level randomization stratified on farmers group. Individuals within farmers groups are therefore assigned to one of the three treatment arms: 1) Control group; 2) Bonus group; 3) Discount group. A baseline survey is conducted, and three rounds of training are held with the farmers group to train farmers how to use the mobile banking services. Administrative outcome data is used for analysis including data from the financial service company on specific banking transactions and balances; as well as data from our agriculture input partner on the sale of inputs.

Outcomes (Endpoints):

Our primary outcomes of interest are savings balances and investment in inputs. Our intermediate outcomes of interest are: takeup and use of mobile banking services; attendance at mobile banking repeated trainings and cellphone purchases post training.

Unit of Analysis:

Individuals

Hypotheses:

1) What is the impact of the bonus treatment on mobile banking use, savings balances and input purchasing decisions. 2) What is the impact of the pre-paid discount treatment on mobile banking use, savings balances and input purchasing decisions.

Unit of Intervention or Assignment:

individuals

Number of Clusters in Sample:

14

Number of Individuals in Sample:

Approximately 250

Size of Treatment, Control, or Comparison Subsamples:

We have 3 groups, each with approximately 83 people.

Data

Outcomes Data

Description:

We will use data from 3 sources: 1) Administrative data from financial services provider 2) Administrative data from agricultural input supplier 3) Cellphone purchases and attendance data measured at mobile banking trainings

Data Already Collected?

No

Data Previously Used?

Data Access:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

Data Approval Process:

Approval Status:

Treatment Assignment Data

Participation or Assignment Information:

Yes

Description:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

Data Previously Used?

Data Access:

Data Obtained by the Study Researchers?

Data Approval Process:

Approval Status:

Data Analysis

Data Analysis Status:

Study Materials

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Registration Category

Registration Category:

Prospective, Category 1: Data for measuring impacts have not been collected

Completion

Completion Overview

Intervention Completion Date:

Data Collection Completion Date:

Unit of Analysis:

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Total Observations in Final Sample:

Size of Treatment, Control, or Comparison Subsamples:

Findings

Preliminary Report:

Preliminary Report URL:

Summary of Findings:

Paper:

Paper Summary:

Paper Citation:

Data Availability

Data Availability (Primary Data):

Date of Data Availability:

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Other Materials

Survey:

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External Link Description:

Description of Changes:

Study Stopped

Date:

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