| KEYWORD |
FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE DIGITALIZATION OF A MICROCREDIT PROCESS IN INDIA
Thesis in external company 
Thesis abroad
keywords ICT FOR DEVELOPMENT, INFORMATION SYSTEMS, MICROCREDIT
Reference persons MARCO TORCHIANO
Research Groups SOFTWARE ENGINEERING GROUP - SOFTENG
Description Background
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Arbor India was established in 2005 as the first Panikkarian experiment that involved the integration of economics, solidarity and inter/intra religious dialogue between the populations of Andhra Pradesh, a vast region in the south of the Asian continent.
Arbor’s microfinance involves programs for populations that include microsaving, microinsurance and microcredit. The financial program follows the step of grassroots community organization and empowerment and takes shape through the setting up of microsaving groups and the subsequent opening of bank accounts for these groups. Access to microcredit follows a training program and microsaving that takes place throughout the year prior to the provision of advances for all members of the Arbor groups. Microsaving aims to convey to each member of the group the value of money and the significance of this transformative tool, not only for the individual but for the whole community. Microinsurance can offer, with a small amount within the reach of the poorest, protection from natural disasters, serious illness, death, loss of livestock and the destruction of the house. Microcredit is a tool aimed at the creation of micro activities in order to rebuild the social fabric. The microcredit program allows for the permanent reuse of funds in the form of continuous advances fed in a constant and rotating fashion from the repayments.
Task
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The actual microcredit process is implemented completely manual: money is collected at central banks, brought by car to villages and there distributed to the groups of women participating to the project. Reporting is also done manually on several books. The digitalization of the process could improve both safety and accuracy of the delivery process, however it is not straightforward due to the the cultural and sociological context, and to practical impediments such as scarce Internet access and not regular electric power. Expected activities are:
- Introduction to the microcredit principles and ARBOR activities (in Turin, ITALY)
- AS-IS analysis (in Khammam, INDIA):
- Village visits
- Meetings attendance at village, sub-center and central level
- Analysis of the accounts and bookkeeping principles.
- Use of Tally software.
- Should be analysis (in Khammam, INDIA)
- Proposals for the digitalization of the process
- Feasibility check with local stakeholders
- Interdisciplinary analysis (in Turin, ITALY)
The duration of the thesis is 6 months, including a minimum of three months on the field in India.
Deadline 29/01/2017
PROPONI LA TUA CANDIDATURA