Lukas Friedemann (IPS ’13)
Innovations for Poverty Action
Tanzania
Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) applies rigorous research methodology to develop, test, and scale proven solutions to problems faced by the poor in developing countries. Based at Yale University, the organization has worked in over 40 countries around the world.
My internship on the adoption and usage of mobile money encompassed independent research design, interviews, bureaucratic battles, and a lot of unexpected events while traveling through the vast territory of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Much of my work involved interviews and focus groups to gather customer opinions on mobile money. The project required more than 100 hours of travel time on long-distance coaches, a number of different regional dialects, and at least three distinct climate zones along the coast, in the mountains, and at the world famous Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti National Park. My supervisor and I were continually refining the quantitative surveys, as well the questions asked in our focus group discussions. The goal was not only to obtain a broad picture of mobile money usage but also to develop solid research instruments to be used for future projects in Tanzania and beyond.
Ultimately I was responsible for the design, set-up, and implementation of the research project – all from scratch. My final report included a record of all my work steps, along with a document that is now being used by IPA to advance a new project on savings mechanisms with several mobile network operators that will be implemented in the near future.
