Evaluating savings 'triple win' in Sub-Saharan countries

Genesis conducted the final evaluation of the Savings at the Frontier (SatF) Programme, a $17.6-million partnership between Oxford Policy Management and the Mastercard Foundation.

The SatF programme focused on several sub-Saharan countries. It aimed to test whether formal financial service providers (FSPs) there could develop and implement “triple-win” business cases for linkage with informal savings mechanisms (ISMs). 

In this instance, “triple-win” refers to business cases that are simultaneously commercially viable for the FSPs, beneficial to ISM users and complement the benefits of enhancing social capital that ISMs bring to their members and communities. This was done by providing funding, technical assistance and market coordination support to develop and implement innovative business cases, products and services that serve ISMs and ISM users.

The final evaluation assessed whether the SatF programme was able to achieve its intended outcomes as outlined by the programme theory of change (ToC) at the FSP, ISM and ISM user levels. It used a theory-based approach, which roots the evaluation in the programme ToC. 

The Genesis team used a mixed-methods data-collection approach that included a document review; in-depth interviews with stakeholders such as the SatF programme team, partner FSPs and extended partners; and roadshows in Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia to gather key lessons learnt from the programme.