Publications
2011
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Impact Insurance Working Paper #8: Beyond sales: new frontiers in microinsurance distribution
01 March 2011
Achieving scale through cost-effective distribution is one of the biggest challenges facing insurers in low-premium environments. In an effort to effectively reach a large client base, the emphasis is increasingly falling on innovative new distribution models as alternatives to traditional microinsurance distribution approaches, which typically rely on distribution through microfinance institutions (MFIs). This paper considers the experiences of a group of leading microinsurance innovators and, in particular, the role that new distribution approaches has played. It takes stock of what innovation in microinsurance distribution means and considers the performance of fourteen new microinsurance business models in South Africa, Colombia, Brazil and India in the distribution context. It also provides a summary of the cross-cutting issues and trends emerging across the different distribution models.
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Annual Report 2010
28 February 2011
The Annual Report 2010 highlights the achievements of the ILO's Impact Insurance Facility over the past year.
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Promoting Decent Work in a Green Economy - ILO Background Note
23 February 2011
ILO Background Note to Towards a Green Economy: Pathways to Sustainable Development and Poverty Eradication. UNEP, 2011
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Selected Perspectives on the Enabling Environment for Women's Entrepreneurs in Malawi
31 January 2011
Assessment Report
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The Enabling Environment for Women in Growth Enterprises in Mozambique
15 January 2011
Assessment Report
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Swaziland: the enabling environment for sustainable enterprises: an "EESE" assessment
13 January 2011
Employment Sector - Employment Report No. 10
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Economic and other benefits of the entreprenuers’ cooperative as a specific form of enterprise cluster
03 January 2011
This book presents entrepreneurs’ cooperatives - cooperatives formed by groups of entrepreneurs, independently owned businesses, tradesmen, professionals, or by municipalities and other public bodies. It shows that cooperatives have helped small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in many countries to become and remain competitive. Although this form of business clustering is not wide spread, there are signs that its development and entrepreneurship effects are gradually being considered. This study analyses the set up and the economic, social and employment benefits of entrepreneurs‘ cooperatives as well as the reasons why their use has not spread. It further indicates those features which allow for replication of the model elsewhere and concludes with a number of recommendations.
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Briefing Note #6: Formalizing the informal insurance inherent in migration
01 January 2011
In our increasingly global economy, labor continues to be a major export commodity for many developing countries. Migration can help families mitigate their risks by increasing overall income levels and diversifying income sources. Yet, many migrants tend to find themselves in positions of vulnerability in their host countries without any access to social safety nets. Emergencies can, thus, quickly erode any savings or assets that the migrant has. Migrant-linked insurance products can help transnational families manage their risks and protect their assets. Briefing Note #6 explores the existing and potential links between migration, remittances and insurance. It provides a mapping of migration-linked microinsurance products, a framework for how to think about them, and an outline of the opportunities and challenges for microinsurers interested in developing products for this market segment.
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Investing in solutions: A practical guide for the use of microfinance in UNHCR operations
01 January 2011
This guide informs potential managers and implementers of livelihood programmes (programme staff, field staff, protection officers, senior managers) on the use of microfinance as part of a broader livelihoods strategy. The policy framework specifically addresses UNHCR decision-makers. The guide builds upon UNHCR and the ILO's work "Introduction to microfinance in conflict-affected communities" (2002) and "Lessons learned from UNHCR’s experiences with microfinance" (2010), as well as evolving practices in the field of microfinance. The guide provides practical information and tools to assess the appropriateness of microfinance in a conflict-affected community and to design sustainable microfinance interventions that will help UNHCR to meet its objectives. The guide includes concrete tools to help design, monitor and evaluate sustainable microfinance projects, including sample templates, formats and checklists.
2010
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Promoting job creation for young people in multinational enterprises and their supply chains: Sierra Leone
14 December 2010
Employment Sector - Employment Report No. 8
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The social and Decent Work dimensions of a new Agreement on Climate Change - A technical brief
06 December 2010
The technical brief highlights the close inter-linkages between climate change and the world of work and discusses entry points for promoting policy coherence between climate and social and labour policies.
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Labour-oriented participation in municipalities
01 December 2010
While social dialogue at the national level (both sectoral or multi-sectoral) has recognized attributes, at the same time, there are local level issues related to labour which are difficult to capture at the national level. The Sectoral Activities Department of the ILO has published the working paper: “Labour-oriented participation in municipalities. How decentralized social dialogue can benefit the urban economy and its sectors”, which presents practices of local social dialogue. It also provides guidance for municipal actors to engage in local social dialogue with the aim of improving the situations of workers and companies in the municipality from the decent work perspective.
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The KwaZulu Natal tourism sector: Selected Perspectives on the Enabling Environment for Women's Entrepreneurs
15 November 2010
Assessment Report
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ILO and Cooperatives - COOP NEWS No. 3, 2010 (Newsletter)
28 October 2010
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“Social and Solidarity Economy: Building a Common Understanding”
25 October 2010
In support of the First edition of the Social and Solidarity Economy Academy, 25 -29th October 2010, ITC ILO, Turin, Italy
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Briefing Note #5: Innovations and barriers in health microinsurance
01 October 2010
The emergence of health microinsurance (HMI) programmes worldwide provides hope that the poor will receive, at a minimum, a reliable, adequate level of access to affordable healthcare. Led by the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and the ILO's Microinsurance Innovation Facility, Briefing Note #5, which is based on a longer thematic study that includes a literature review of 68 documents covering the period from 1999 to 2010 and expert interviews with more than 31 experts representing 25 organizations, focuses on private sector HMI and discusses the challenges that limit the growth and impact of HMI. In addition to identifying barriers to success, the authors present innovations that may move the field forward, including collaboration with public programmes.
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International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) Brief No. 2, 2010
01 October 2010
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Promoting job creation for young people in multinational enterprises and their supply chains: Liberia
02 September 2010
Employment Sector - Employment Report No. 7
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Briefing Note #3: Emerging practices in consumer education on risk management and insurance
01 September 2010
Consumer education can be one important component of microinsurance schemes; it benefits microinsurance practitioners by stimulating demand and helps low-income households make informed decisions. Led by ILO's Microinsurance Innovation Facility, Briefing Note #3 summarizes feedback collected by the Microinsurance Network's Insurance Education Working Group from more than fifty practitioners who were early implementers of consumer education schemes. The authors highlight key design features for content and delivery of education and provide examples of organizations that have successfully implemented the features in consumer education programmes. In the last section, they review the challenges of sustainability and monitoring and evaluation that are especially relevant for practitioners who want to integrate education into their business models.
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Briefing Note #4: The psychology of microinsurance: Small changes can make a surprising difference
01 September 2010
One important lesson from behavioural economics is the understanding that small changes in the design of products and marketing can sometimes make a surprising difference in how and whether financial products are used. Led by the Financial Access Initiative, Briefing Note #4 presents laboratory and field research examples from the field of behavioural economics to provide eight recommendations for microinsurance providers. The authors describe new insights into how households think about losses and gains, weigh present and future tradeoffs, struggle with self-control, and are influenced by the way choices are framed. These insights can help insurers navigate how to improve product design, marketing, insurance education, pricing, and take-up.