This is the third post in a series on Reboot’s ongoing work in Pakistan in the areas of branchless banking and financial inclusion.

A Reboot team recently returned to Pakistan, where we are supporting the efforts of a bank to expand access to basic financial services to those in need. We recently presented the project findings from our recent field study in Punjab Province to the bank’s management and staff. Some of the resulting design recommendations addressed how the bank could:

• Enhance delivery mechanisms for humanitarian relief funds and government-to-person payments.
• Graduate aid beneficiaries into viable branchless banking customers.
• Strengthen its business model through selective, strategic investments.
• Better serve marginalized market segments, defined here as rural populations, the poor, and women.

The team also led a series of interactive workshops with each of the bank’s functional areas, where staff at all levels were encouraged to test, challenge, and build upon our findings, and to develop concrete next steps towards improving their branchless banking services.

Some shots from the 90-page final publication, designed by our talented Erin Moore, follow:

Pakistan is among the most exciting m-banking markets in the world, and we’re honored to be working with a market visionary in developing more inclusive financial services for its citizens.

This project was developed in collaboration with MEDA, with the generous support of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.