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Poverty Scorecards: Lessons from a Microlender in Bosnia‐Herzegovina

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Listed:
  • Mark Schreiner
  • Michal Matul
  • Ewa Pawlak
  • Sean Kline

Abstract

How poor are participants in development projects? This article analyzes how well a simple scorecard identifies poor clients at a microlender in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. The scorecard effectively ranks clients by the likelihood that they are poor by an absolute, expenditure‐based standard. The score tracks poverty more closely than loan size, microfinance's traditional poverty indicator. Overall, poverty scorecards are a simple, inexpensive way for microlenders—or any other development entity—to target the poor, track changes in poverty over time, manage poverty outreach, and report on clients' absolute poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Schreiner & Michal Matul & Ewa Pawlak & Sean Kline, 2014. "Poverty Scorecards: Lessons from a Microlender in Bosnia‐Herzegovina," Poverty & Public Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 6(4), pages 407-428, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:povpop:v:6:y:2014:i:4:p:407-428
    DOI: 10.1002/pop4.86
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Bisogno, Marcelo & Chong, Alberto, 2002. "Poverty and Inequality in Bosnia and Herzegovina After the Civil War," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 61-75, January.
    3. Peter Kolesar & Janet L. Showers, 1985. "A Robust Credit Screening Model Using Categorical Data," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 123-133, February.
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