Project Details.

The study assesses the Community Investment Fund (CIF) component of the Peoples’ Poverty Reduction Programme (PPRP) implemented by SRSO across six districts of Sindh—Khairpur, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Umerkot, Badin, and Thatta. The PPRP, funded by the Government of Sindh, aimed to empower rural women and reduce poverty through social mobilization, institutional development, and household-level support packages.

CIF is a revolving, interest-free fund managed by Village Organisations (VOs) to provide financial access to poor women (PSC 0–23) for income-generating activities, asset building, and livelihood expansion. 

The project sought to evaluate CIF’s effectiveness, impact on poverty graduation, women’s empowerment, cost-effectiveness, sustainability of the revolving fund, and the functioning of community-led financial systems. 

The study uses a mixed-methods approach, including a large-scale beneficiary survey, FGDs, KIIs, cost-benefit analysis, and institutional assessment across sampled VOs and households. 

HIMAT Consulting designed and implemented the full CIF Assessment Study, including development of the study methodology, sampling strategy, and data collection tools. The firm conducted a large-scale quantitative survey of 3,973 CIF beneficiary households across six districts using a stratified multi-stage sampling approach, covering both 1st and 2nd cycle CIF recipients. 

HCPL developed and digitized surveys in KOBO, trained enumerators, and executed fieldwork across 34 talukas and 68 sampled VOs. The team facilitated FGDs with CO/VO/LSO women leaders and KIIs with SRSO staff, community bookkeepers, and field managers to assess CIF processes, loan utilization, recovery mechanisms, institutional sustainability, and women’s empowerment outcomes. 

HCPL also established rigorous data quality assurance systems, supervised field teams, conducted daily monitoring, performed data cleaning, and prepared transcripts of all qualitative data. Additional services included conducting cost-benefit analysis, analyzing PSC changes, reviewing CIF portfolio records, and preparing the inception report, workplan, logistics plan, and analytical framework. 

HIMAT Consulting was responsible for delivering cleaned datasets, analysis, and a comprehensive final evaluation report with evidence-based recommendations for improving CIF operations and sustainability.