The Impact-Driven and Action-Based Research (Impact-R) project is pleased to invite microfinance institutions, rural or commercial banks, cooperatives, NGOs and basic service providers operating in Africa, Southeast Asia or Latin America to participate in the call for funding for research on access to energy, water, sanitation and hygiene, and food security in rural areas.

The project aims to contribute to the interdisciplinary field of impact assessment in the sector of sustainable development, focusing on achievement of the SDGs that are directly related to the improvement of household access to basic services.

The research will focus on the nexus between access to energy, access to clean water and sanitation, and food security. One of the main objectives of the research is to field test assessment methodologies for measuring the impact of modern credit mechanisms for financing clean energy technologies (green loans) and clean water solutions (water credits). To this end, the relationships between existing frameworks for the assessment of access to basic services will be investigated. The latest digital tools for data collection, assessment, and long-term monitoring will be employed, with support from HEDERA.

The project will establish strong links between researchers and practitioners, especially in developing countries, to investigate innovative needs and impact assessment methodologies. These tools will enable local and global stakeholders (research institutions, local communities, development organizations, and international investors) to:

• understand the needs of vulnerable populations;
• analyze the market with respect to different products and services; and
• establish procedures for organizations to track their achievements according to the latest standards.

Eligibility Criteria

An applicant is eligible for the assignment if they meet all of the following prerequisites: 

• Applicants shall be microfinance institutions/rural or commercial banks/NBFIs/cooperatives/NGOs/suppliers operating in Africa, Southeast Asia, or Latin America and have experience in working with at least one research institution in the last five years.
• Institutions shall have experience in offering or have plans to offer financial products for acquiring access to basic services (e.g. energy or water loans).
• The applicant must have a sufficient number of field staff (e.g. 3-4 officers), with a minimum experience of one year working at the institution, who are available to undertake the data collection processes in the expected timeframe. 
• The applicant is able to provide mobile Android devices to the selected loan officers for the data collection.
• The applicant is able to conduct the data collection in the local language(s).

For more information, visit Impact-R.