Britta Augsburg

Position: ESPP Fellow
Email address: Britta.augsburg@governance.unimaas.nl

Educational Background
August 2005 MSc Econometrics University Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

Master thesis topic: Econometric Evaluation of the SEWA Bank in India, applying matching methods based on the propensity score.

Research Interest
The core question of my current research project is whether microfinance loans, offered in combination with additional services (such as insurance, training, establishment of market linkages) increase the customer’s ability to cope with shocks. The main medium to address this question will be primary data: A survey of approximately 1000 clients and non-clients of an Indian microfinance institution (BASIX India) will be conducted. More specifically, the study will zoom in on one of the institution’s programs, namely their intervention in the dairy sub-sector. This is a program that gives loans for the specific purpose of buying a milk animal. Besides the loan, insurance for the animal is provided, training given, veterinarian services arranged, market linkages established, etc. Currently, the design of this survey as well as the questionnaire is being undertaken and will be put into practice by the end of this year. Two related questions will be addressed: Ex post the interest lies in whether changes in risk resulting from program participation influence the borrower’s decision to stay in or exit the program. And secondly, it will be looked at whether expected changes in risk influence the household’s decision to apply and take a loan in the first place.

Working Papers
Augsburg, B. (2006), Econometric evaluation of the SEWA Bank in India: Applying matching techniques based on the propensity score. MGSoG Working Paper 2006/003, Maastricht

Augsburg, B. & Fouillet, C. (2007b), "The Spread of the Self-Help Group Bank Linkage Program in India"
forthcoming July 2007

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