Social Risk Mitigation Project / Research on Evaluating Impacts of Micro-credit Projects

Social Risk Mitigation Project (SRMP) is a US$ 500 million project with three following main sub-components: i) Institutional Development Component, ii) Conditional Cash Transfers Component, iii) Local Initiatives Component.

The objectives of the project are:

•    To mitigate the impact of 2000 and 2001 economic crisis on the most vulnerable section of the population,
•    To implement programs aiming at preventing intergenerational transfer of poverty and increase their resistance capacity against similar crises that may occur in the future,
•    To improve the institutional capacity of the state institutions that are engaged in the provision of social services and assistance to our needy citizens.
•    To increase the access of the poor citizens to education and health services
•    To increase sustainable income generating and employability opportunities for poor citizens,
•    To contribute to the improvement of the quality and quantity of the social services provided to the poor citizens.
•    To make the targeting system currently used in social assistance programs in Turkey more scientific, objective and systematic.


The development objective of the Social Risk Mitigation Project (SRMP) is to contribute to poverty reduction in Turkey in both the short and long term. Amongst other, providing immediate income support to the poorest affected by the 2001 crises is one of the poverty reduction components of SRMP. Within the frame work of Micro-Credit sub-projects (local initiatives component of the project), Prime Ministry Social Solidarity and Support Foundation supported many sub-projects all over Turkey on greenhouses, poultry, animal husbandry, bee-keeping, fodder crops, fruit cultivation, mushroom growing, aquaculture, small-scale artisanship, carpet weaving, handicrafts, garment making etc. These micro-credits are provided for the poorest villagers, to encourage them to get involved in an economic activity, and thus to improve their income and welfare. Another objective of these micro-credits is to motivate the enterprise to expand their economic activities with own equity and obtain long-term benefits.

The objective of the research study is i) to assess and analyse the socio-economic impacts of income generating agriculture and SME micro-credit projects supported by 931 Social Solidarity Foundations all over Turkey, ii) to determine reasons for failure and success of projects, iii) to set procedures for selection of beneficiaries, iv) assess amount of owner’s equity mobilized by the sub-projects, v) to prepare case studies for each sub-project type to earmark key constraints and lessons to be learned, vi) to provide client with recommendation to improve the operations of micro-credit projects, as well as the operational structure of Foundations,  To achieve the objectives of this study, AGRIN designed a survey methodology to interview 1250 beneficiaries at 7 regions of Turkey, basing on an appropriate sampling design acceptable to the Client and  arranged focus group meetings and case studies, designed and finalized questionnaires and interview manuals, contributed training of enumerators and supervisors, arranged pilot surveys and analysis (statistical and econometric) and interpreted data, and prepared recommendations for improvement of the micro-credit system as well as structuring of Foundations.

•    Team Leader
•    3 economists/ agricultural economists
•    Statistician/ data analyst