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A person manages book of mobile cash transfers

Incentivizing public sector employees: The role of digital technology in enhancing the carrot and the stick

Employee effectiveness is a key driver of productivity and economic development in the public sector. But how does one motivate public sector employees to perform and deliver services? Understanding what drives these employees to work hard, and how different (dis)incentives can energize (or reduce)...
A close-up picture of two hands operating a card reader

Tantangan dan Isu Utama dalam Meningkatkan Inklusi Layanan Keuangan Digital di Indonesia: Analisis Laporan White paper IFII J-PAL SEA

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Keberhasilan Indonesia dalam meningkatkan inklusi keuangan dalam beberapa tahun terakhir didukung oleh komitmen yang kuat dari pemerintah dan sektor swasta, serta pesatnya inovasi teknologi terutama yang mendukung penyediaan layanan keuangan digital atau digital financial service (DFS). Memperluas...
A close-up picture of two hands operating a card reader

Key issues and challenges for advancing inclusive digital financial services in Indonesia

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How can technological innovations in digital finance help accelerate progress? This blog recaps an October webinar hosted by J-PAL SEA's Inclusive Financial Innovation Initiative (IFII), which provided an overview of the financial inclusion and digital finance services sector in Indonesia and...
A woman completes a digital cash transfer

The leaky bucket: Can digitization of social welfare programs reduce leakages?

Corruption and ineffective program implementation often result in leakages, which are particularly concerning when it comes to social welfare programs, including cash transfers. But with rapid technological innovation and increasing connectivity, does digitization have the potential to help reduce...
A woman with a mask on puts a mask on a young girl

Designing adaptive social assistance during COVID-19: A recap from the Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Webinar

To address how existing social assistance programs in Egypt could be enhanced in response to COVID-19 and large external shocks in general, J-PAL MENA and UNICEF Egypt held a webinar on “Social Assistance Response to Large External Shocks in Egypt: What We Can Learn from Randomized Evaluations.”...
A smiling women speaks on a cell phone in front of an Mpesa stand.

Building back better: Catalyzing digital financial services for women across Africa

The G7 partnership on women's digital financial inclusion in Africa, of which J-PAL Africa’s Digital Identification and Finance Initiative is a participant, recently held its first annual event focused on Catalyzing Digital Financial Services for Women Across Africa: Supporting Recovery, Resilience...
Three people conduct digital cash transfer payments

Reaching the most vulnerable: Can digitization improve social assistance targeting?

Governments around the world rely on social assistance to reduce poverty, but the poorest are often left behind. To what extent can digital identity and payment systems improve targeting of government transfers?
A man and woman use their phones for a mobile money transfer

The rise of mobile money in sub-Saharan Africa: Has this digital technology lived up to its promises?

Mobile money has been touted as a revolutionary tool for expanding access to financial services in low resource environments. But does this technology live up to its promises? What are the impacts on the households who use mobile money?