Publications by benjamin s. allen, ph.d.
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Learning Briefs
The Value of Sharia-Compliant Savings Groups
Conventional savings groups (SG) consist of 15-30 self-selecting members and provide their members with two means for obtaining useful lump sums of money to invest in business or household needs, but the interest payments on loans exclude or discomfit many of those, including Muslims, whose...More
Learning Briefs
How SILCs in Africa and Latin America have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic: One year later
This study presents the results of focus group discussions with 110 CRS SILCs and individual interviews with 415 SILC members administered in seven countries in Africa and two in Latin America from August to October 2021, to understand how SILC groups have responded to the public health and...More
Learning Briefs
Challenges facing Savings and Internal Lending Communities in a long-term refugee settlement setting
This study was conducted to understand the challenges and risks that members of Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) and SILC Private Service Providers (PSP) have faced in a context of great vulnerability and poverty in the Bidibidi refugee settlement and adjacent host communities in...More
Papers/Reports
Understanding Farmers' Needs Project - Final Endline Research Report
The CRS Understanding Farmers' Needs (UFN) project, implemented in Senegal, sought to identify the value added for farmers of improved last-mile service delivery by Private Agricultural Service Providers (PASP). The endline study discussed here analyzes interviews of 149 smallholder farmers who...More
Learning Briefs
SILC Pro-Poor Strategy
The SILC Pro-Poor Strategy seeks to promote the inclusion of poorer community members in SILC. The strategy comprises promotional approaches, new group savings policies and SILC Private Service Provider (PSP) fee structures, revised language in all training materials to improve SILC outreach to...More
Case Studies
How SILCs Have Responded to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Learning from surveys in Latin America and Africa
This study presents the results of two surveys conducted with representatives of 844 CRS Savings and Internal Lending...More
Papers/Reports
Results from a multi-project survey of Savings and Internal Lending Community members
This study examines the views of members...More
Evaluations/Assessments
Savings Groups and Consumer Protection: Risk Mitigation through Community-Based Structures
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Savings and Internal Lending Communities, or SILC, model is based on an innovative fee-for-service delivery channel that trains and certifies Private Service Providers (PSPs), local social entrepreneurs who form and train Savings Groups for a fee paid by the group...More
Evaluations/Assessments
Savings Groups and Consumer Protection: How Savings Groups Responded to Insecurity and Theft in Madagascar
For millions of financially excluded individuals worldwide, Savings Groups offer the opportunity to save and borrow small amounts of cash in a convenient, accessible and generally safe manner. But a recent risk assessment of Savings Groups in Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Rwanda and Tanzania,...More
Evaluations/Assessments
Earning a living from SILC: PSPs in Madagascar
This study was conducted to evaluate the sustainability of CRS’ Savings and Internal Lending Communities (...More
Papers/Reports
