CICO Collective Webinar: Economist Impact
Join Last Mile Money's CICO Collective in a 1-hour webinar presentation by Economist Impact, which developed a first-of-its-kind Cash Point Diagnostic Tool that provides policymakers, regulators, and FSPs a more complete view of cash points in a specific economy. The tool assesses the services provided by CICO networks and the experiences of their users in three domains: reach, access, and quality. In 2022, they piloted this tool in five markets: Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Nigeria and Pakistan.
Their findings uncovered insights about the state of cash point networks, the challenges they face, and opportunities to increase trust and user engagement. Applied to different economies, this tool can inform policy, guide strategies to implement inclusive finance, and measure progress on achieving these goals. The tool examines the user experience, employing surveys of users to pinpoint elements and behaviours that improve or diminish the quality of their interactions with the network. In the pilot study, these surveys captured insights from each country.
Economist Impact’s top findings from their CICO Diagnostic:
Expanding perspective beyond reach
Prioritise solving for connectivity challenges
Users are deterred by hidden fees
Untapped opportunities for agents to better support cash users
Building trust in CICO networks will require reducing fraud
More female agents can improve the user experience
The Economist Impact CICO Diagnostic tool was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Presenters
Monica Ballesteros Senior Manager, Policy & Insights at Economist Impact
Monica Ballesteros is a senior manager in the Policy & Insights team at Economist Impact. Monica works with clients in the private and nonprofit sectors to help answer some of the critical economic and public policy questions facing our world. At Economist Impact she has led several bespoke engagements to promote economic, digital and financial inclusion.
Monica has over 10 years of experience as a communications and research professional. Prior to her time at The Economist Group, Monica worked in the International Affairs Unit of Mexico’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, where she was part of the G20 task force. She also worked as an account manager in one of Mexico’s most prominent consulting firms, where she designed and implemented communication strategies for multinational corporations. She holds a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College.
Kathleen Harrington, Analyst, Policy & Insights at Economist Impact
Kathleen Harrington is an analyst on the Policy & Insights team at Economist Impact and is based out of the Washington D.C. office. Prior to joining Economist Impact, Kathleen worked on National Journal's custom policy research team, and at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston. She also has experience at the International Trade Administration’s Office of Trade Negotiation and Analysis and the U.S. Department of State. She holds a master's degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and a bachelor's degree in international business from the Catholic University of America.