Aspects of Outreach: A Framework for the Discussion of the Social Benefits of Microfinance

Mark Schreiner ()

Development and Comp Systems from EconWPA

Abstract: Wide agreement about the goal of microfinance--to improve the welfare of the poor--has not led to wide agreement about how best to achieve that goal. To aid discussion, I propose a framework for outreach--the social benefits of microfinance--in terms of six aspects: worth, cost, depth, breadth, length, and scope. The framework encompasses both the poverty approach to microfinance and the self-sustainability approach. The poverty approach assumes that great depth of outreach can compensate for narrow breadth, short length, and limited scope. The self-sustainability approach assumes that wide breadth, long length, and ample scope can compensate for shallow depth. I show how to use the framework for BancoSol of Bolivia.

Keywords: Outreach; sustainability; cost-benefit analysis; cost-effectiveness analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J23 I3 N3 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-mfd
Date: 2001-09-05
Note: Type of Document - Adobe Acrobat 3.0; prepared on Windows 98; to print on Adobe Acrobat 3.0; pages: ; figures: Included in pdf file
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Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wpa:wuwpdc:0109003

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