A Proposed Islamic Microfinance Impact Assessment Methodology

Impact assessment of microfinance programs have been remained the foremost concern of microfinance stakeholders for optimal policy measures. The existing literature regarding the impact assessment varies from parametric to experimental methods to evaluate the performance of microfinance programs across the world however; the literature is lacking a single measure to reveal maximum possible changes in socioeconomic variables resulting from microfinance institutions’ intervention. This study aims to develop a composite index for evaluating the performance of microfinance programs in multi-dimensional contexts. The study exposes a set of eight “diverse indicators” to evaluate the performance of a microfinance program on a wider socioeconomic scale. The dimensions of the index are consist of economic (Income, saving) and socioeconomic (poverty, access to basic facilities, family empowerment) indicators. The changes in deprivations of household, based on the selected indicators, reveal the intensity of success of a microfinance program towards their goals. Finally, we have developed an index by the interaction of incidence and intensity of socioeconomic deprivations. The index is named as “Multidimensional Microfinance Deprivation Index”. This is an index developed in the same line as multidimensional poverty index. The implications of this study are three folds; firstly, it will open up a new dimension of literature in the field of microfinance including Islamic microfinance by instigating an important area. Secondly, it may provide a better alternative to microfinance’s stakeholders to investigate the impact assessment of microfinance programs on a wider socioeconomic scale rather than a few economic. Last but not the least, the study integrates diverse socioeconomic indicators, after assigning weights and adjustment to portray an overall picture of the performance of microfinance in terms of uplifting the socioeconomic conditions of the poor and financially marginalized people.

Becoming and Being a Pdt: the Relations Between Personal and Professional Life

The Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (IED-AKU) was established in 1993, and it started preparing Professional Development Teachers (PDTs) through a two-year field based Master in Education (M.Ed.) programme. The PDTs are expected to be exemplary teachers, teacher educators and change agents to bring improvement in their home institutions. Understanding teachers' life is one of the main focuses of present day educational research enderours. The purpose of this study was to explore the personal life investment in the professional life of the PDT. To study this aspect of her life, a life history approach was employed. Data were generated through eight interviews and document analysis. The findings of the study were analyzed against the predetermined categories as subsidiary questions of the study, and the data revealed that family environment, school environment, college life, life overseas, life at AKU-IED, some professional experiences and her own natural abilities are the factors that influenced her professional life. Each category is further sub-divided under sub-categories and discussed. The implications of the study emerged on the basis of significance of the study and in the light of the findings. Further more, suggestions for further investigation followed at the end.