News
MicroNed Conference Report 2011
Thursday 7 July 2011
A wide range of representatives at the conference provided differing perspectives on impact (104 people joined us). Even the relatively simple and neutral objective of the conference to "take stock of evidence" proved difficult - with academics, researchers and practitioners applying different criteria of quality and usefulness.
The impact of microcredit is highly variable and any overall judgement is unclear. The early wave of positive results has been replaced by more rigorous yet more modest evidence of outcomes. Quantifiable studies that have attempted to attribute impact of programmes have provided little evidence that microcredit alone will achieve poverty reduction.
In summary the conference concluded there is a new realism in the air with regards to microfinance as a tool for achieving widespread poverty reduction. Further, there is increasing recognition that its impacts are more complex and variable than previously believed. The Conference report and the study on Impact are published on our website.
Downloads:
Impact Study issued by MicroNed
A different tune by Harry Hummels
