This thesis investigates the nature and extent of financial inclusion in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). It sequentially investigates this in three related studies. The first study examines the impact of access to finance on poverty, while the second investigates the extent to which cross-country structural and macroeconomic variations contribute to the observed variations in the levels of financial inclusion. Finally, because both financial inclusion and financial stability have been embraced as key policy initiatives over the past decade, the third study examines the nature of relationship between these two policy goals. The first paper uses household-level data from FinScope Surveys conducted in eight SSA countries between 2014 and 2015 to examine the impact of access to finance on household wealth. The few studies which have looked at this relationship in the past apply a linear estimation and thus inadvertently assume a uniform distribution across all levels of poverty. This study examines the heterogeneous impact of access to finance along the entire wealth distribution line using a Re-centered Influence Function (RIF) regression model. Further, to eliminate potential endogeneity, an instrumental variable quantile approach is implemented. Results from both estimations indicate that the unconditional effect of access to finance on poverty is non-monotonic. For most of the countries, the effect is highest at the median level, and very low at the bottom of the wealth index. This suggests that the extension of formal financial services disproportionately benefits the middle-class more than the very-poor and rich categories. The second paper uses macroeconomic data obtained from various World Bank databases over the period 2004-2014 to examine the extent to which the observed cross-country variations in financial inclusion are mirrored by country-specific structural and macroeconomic characteristics. To conceptualize, the study uses a benchmark model to establish the optimal level of financial inclusion given the country's fundamentals, and thus provide a meaningful cross-country comparison. The key structural and policy factors that determine the extent of the gap between the actual and predicted levels of access to finance are analysed via a fixed-effects model based on selected SSA countries. The results suggest the existence of a gap in access to finance within the region, compared to their potential. The gap is wider in banking systems with high concentration, low proportion of foreign banks and poor economic conditions. The final paper empirically examines the theoretical ambiguity between financial inclusion and stability. Theory provides conflicting views on whether the two are complimentary, or mutually exclusive. This paper examines this dynamic relationship via a system-GMM panel estimation model using a panel of 40 countries from the SSA region over the period 2004-2014, while controlling for both bank-specific and macroeconomic-wide factors. The results indicate that financial inclusion has a positive impact on bank stability, however, high market power within the banking systems and poor institutional framework tends to undermine the impact of financial inclusion on stability. Overall, the results provide evidence that the existing portfolio of formal financial services does not provide sustainable solutions to poverty eradication in terms of meeting the unique needs of the poorer members of the societies. This ultimately widens the gap between the poorest and the middle-class which further complicates the poverty structure. Therefore, there is a need for more investment on improving both the range of existing product offering and the financial capabilities of the poor, in order to improve their participation in financial markets. Demand-side policies should focus on increasing the bankable population by improving both awareness and usage of financial services and products. Supply-side policies should seek to eliminate market frictions by reducing concentration levels, improve competiveness through relaxation of entry restrictions, and opening the market to foreign institutes and non-banking players, and thus improve innovation in both new products offering and service delivery. This work further argues that financial inclusion is not only a developmental or welfare issue, but has positive ramifications on the banking system. Therefore, to be effective financial inclusion policies should adopt a market systems approach to development, which recognizes the importance of support structures and seek to benefit the poor by incentivizing service providers to improve product quality, variety and returns, and thus create value throughout the value chain. An effective approach should also embrace the role of macro-prudential regulatory and supervisory framework, as an indispensable tool, not only in governing the behavior of financial services providers, but because of its efficacy in building consumer confidence- a key element for increased access and usage of financial services.

Youth unemployment in Zambia is high. According to the Zambia Country Report (2013) by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), approximately 960,000 (16.7 %) of the almost 6 million youths in Zambia are unemployed. This has led to young people engaging in entrepreneurial activities as a means of survival. However, they are faced with difficulties in accessing empowerment funds for entrepreneurship. An exploratory study was conducted in the Lusaka Province of Zambia. The aim of the study was to explore successes and challenges faced by the youth in accessing empowerment funds for entrepreneurship in Zambia. Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative research methods was used for the study. Sampling was done to select the youths that would take part in the quantitative survey. Sixty youths who applied for the empowerment funds were selected to take part in the survey which was done by questionnaire. The software ‘Statistical Package for Social Sciences’ (SPSS) was used for the quantitative data analysis. A Purposive Sampling method was used because the selected youths and stakeholders were considered to be suitable to participate in the study. The sample size selected from the research population was 30. Twenty youths who applied for empowerment funds and 10 representatives of the stakeholders were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were used as data collection tools. For the qualitative data analysis, Tesch’s steps were used. The study found that several factors affect youth access to empowerment funds for entrepreneurship in Zambia. These factors could be divided into four groups: economic and financial, institutional, social and miscellaneous. The main economic and financial factors included unemployment and lack of income, lack of collateral, savings by the youth, bank charges and poor financial habits. The main institutional factors were found to be legal regulatory framework, poor policies and bureaucracy. The main social factors were lack of entrepreneurship education, skills training and non-existent youth services. Other factors were negative societal social and cultural perceptions, practices and attitudes, logistical issues and lack of information. The recommendations for access to empowerment funds for entrepreneurship by youth in Zambia can be divided into five main categories, namely alternative funding sources, communication, financial, institutional and miscellaneous. The youths should seek other sources of money, disbursing agencies should use different mediums for disseminating information about empowerment funds, the government should strengthen disbursing agencies for provision of empowerment funds equitably, and there is a need for appropriate financial practices to be adopted by the youth. The study is exploratory and identifies the factors that affect the youth’s access to empowerment funds for entrepreneurship in Zambia. Further research should be done to assess attitudes of funders towards youth entrepreneurs so as to gauge whether access to financial interventions are effective or not. Further research is also needed to understand why youth entrepreneurs tend to shun certain entrepreneurial activities such as farming.

Includes abstract. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-239). / This study investigated the viability of community health insurance (CHI) as a means of increasing access to health care for rural households in Uganda. This was against the background that health care is a basic need and right and that, despite this, households especially in the rural parts of Uganda are still lacking effective access to health care. The study is informed by different theories of justice in health care delivery, namely, the libertarian, egalitarian and utilitarian theories. It also borrows concepts from Andersen's (1968) behavioural model of health services access and utilization as well as Kutzin's (2001) framework for analysis of health financing arrangements to assess the viability of CHI as a strategy to increase access to health care.

Includes bibliographical references. / This study examines childcare practices among employed Ugandan fathers with working spouses. The researcher adopted a dominant quantitative design as well as a qualitative design (mixed methodology). A survey was used to obtain quantitative descriptive data. Random cluster samples of 200 fathers (100 in Kampala and 100 in Mpigi) and 200 mothers (100 in Kampala and 100 in Mpigi) were interviewed with questionnaires.

Effective community and service-based educational programs are needed for disconnected urban young adults not in high school, in contact with the criminal or juvenile justice system, or who are otherwise facing limited career and learning opportunities towards economic self-reliance (Keith, 1997). Some programs in community and service-based education designed for this population have difficulty retaining their participants and achieving other key educational objectives (Westort, 1997). Through qualitative and some quantitative research methods, including interviews with program organizers, directors and staff; participation-observation of operating programs; and document analysis of program attendance records, progress reports, mission and policy statements and program schedules, this research identifies elements of existing programs that are most effective at retaining students in community and service-based education. It considers program scheduling, length of program, characteristics and qualifications of staff, type of activity, program context, and other elements that influence participants' ability and willingness to complete a program. Inductive data analysis reveal evolving categories and themes drawn from the research (Bogdan, & Biklen, 1994). Data analysis and triangulation across data sources makes evident reoccurring patterns that point to a relationship between program design (e.g., organization, incentives, staff and organizers, service activity, mission and goals, target population, etc.) and factors that impact retention (e.g., attitudes affecting attendance, real and perceived fit between participant needs and program goals, social context, accommodation of special needs, etc.). Based on this data and consideration of my experience in a program in Springfield, Massachusetts, this dissertation develops a model program that holds greater potential for accomplishing retention objectives. This model is a conceptual and operational model developed within the framework of prospective evaluation (U.S. General Accounting Office, PEMD-10.1.10, 1990, pp. 5–10). This model represents a more inclined understanding of at-risk and court-involved populations, corrections education, and a programmatic approach to combine principles of corrections education with community and service-based education to have greater success with retention as well as educational program objectives. Specifically, it was found that retention depends on a number of varied and distinct relationships between the teachers' qualifications and characteristics and real and perceived needs of the students; program scheduling and activities and the interests of the participants; participants' perceived needs and their practical ability to persist; and the total fit between program design and the population that the program serves.

No description available.

Includes bibliographical references.

Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effective implementation of instructional supervision practices in secondary schools of Hawassa City Administration in Ethiopia. The study focuses particularly on the practices and roles of supervisors in the implementation of instructional supervision, and the factors affecting its implementation in secondary schools. Basic questions related to the availability of instructional supervision strategies and their implementation, the roles of instructional leaders, perceptions of instructional supervision, and challenges for proper implementation of instructional supervision were raised. In addition, strategies for strengthening the effective implementation of instructional supervision were also addressed. The study was framed within the Theory of Change in Teachers’ viewpoints on instructional practices. In fact, there is a strong link with the instructional leadership strategies and the role of supervisors for the effective implementation of instructional supervision practices. The Instructional Supervision Model was used as it integrates the activities of instructional supervision in the schools. Moreover, this study reviewed global perspectives on educational supervision and provided an overview of the study context with an emphasis on improvement of instructional supervision. Philosophically, this study followed the pragmatist research paradigm, employing mixed research approaches; it also employed an explanatory sequential design in which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously, interpreted separately and combined at the time of discussion for better understanding of the problem. Data were gathered from 160 supervision teams (vice-principals, senior teachers, unit leaders and department heads), 185 teachers. In addition, 14 principals and supervisors took part in interviews. One focus group discussion was also conducted with the city educational experts. Data were gathered through survey questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, FGD question guides and document reviews. Quantitative data was analysed through the descriptive approaches such as percentage, mean, grand mean and inferential statistics, known as standard division and t-test. Qualitative data collected through interviews and FGDs was summarised through thematic and narrative techniques, and finally triangulated. The results indicated that the quantitative and qualitative data supported one another. It was found that school supervision in line with strategies was inadequate. In addition, school supervision corresponding to the expected standards was not effectively done. The extent to which instructional supervisors design various intervention strategies so as to assist teacher’s professional improvement was insufficient. Evidence showed that instructional supervisors’ role in building effective relationship in schools was weak. Supportive, directive, conflict management and monitoring and supervising roles in the implementation of instructional supervision were also found to be inadequate. The teachers did not have enough support from supervisors in order to improve their instructional skills, and there was a negative perception of teachers about the implementation of instructional supervision. On the other hand, effective implementation of instructional supervision was hampered by a lack of qualified instructional supervisors, management skills, professional manuals, cooperation, and motivation for work and a lack of training and funding. Inadequate facilities and assignment of small number of supervisors hindered proper implementation of instructional supervision. Moreover, lack of commitment on the part of teachers and school leaders, lack of effective stakeholder support, lack of respect among stakeholders, lack of participatory supervisory approach and lack of adequate guidance between instructional leaders hampered instructional supervision. Based on the findings, instructional leaders, teachers, supervisors, school instructional supervision team and school communities need to be well equipped with basic knowledge and skills on the implementation of school instructional supervision, through pre-service and in-service training, experience-sharing programmes, seminars, workshops and discussion forums about the different approaches of supervision in order to enhance the professional growth of teachers and improve their instructional practices. This could help in fostering critical thinking and the problem-solving capacity of the supervisors. Moreover, the instructional leaders in schools need to plan for continuous training and orientation on the nature, practice and significance of instructional supervision. Suggestions were made to solve the factors that hinder proper implementation of instructional supervision. / Educational Management and Leadership

Youth are able to respond to their needs for an income through entrepreneurship. However, some who operate informal businesses face challenges that may hinder the progress of their businesses and ultimately their income generation. In the light of this, there are support initiatives by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for small businesses to address some of the challenges they may meet. The question remains whether young people have knowledge of these initiatives and whether they benefit from them. The current study explored the experiences as well as business aspirations of young people running their own informal businesses in Gugulethu. There were fifteen (15) salon owners who participated. These participants were identified using purposive and snowball sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data as part of a qualitative, explorative approach. The findings revealed that participants face a number of challenges during the start-up and the running stage of their salons. These challenges differed in nature; but there was a common challenge of the lack of financial support by the government. Those that had no financial problems were those who received financial and emotional support from family and friends. Even though young people were faced with these challenges, they came up with strategies to deal with each identified challenge. These showed how determined these hairdressers were to see their businesses succeed and grow. There are indeed policies, programmes and organizations aimed at ensuring the smooth running of informal businesses. Despite this, most young people were not aware of any association, programmes or service that they as hairdressers could benefit from. The findings also revealed that in spite of their struggles, young hairdressers aspired to expand their businesses, but to do this they required both financial and emotional support.