“Financing Development in a Post-Crisis World: The Need for a Fresh Look” was the theme of the 12th Annual Global Development Conference organized by the Global Development Network (GDN).  The GDN invited AFI to co-host a session with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on data and measurement of financial inclusion at this conference which took place on 13-15 January in Bogotá, Colombia.

Policymakers, researchers, and the international development community alike are increasingly recognizing the importance of data and measurement in all sectors. Throughout the three day conference, a recurring question emerged on how to make “evidence-based” policymaking a reality. How can we bridge the gap between research and policymaking?

AFI’s session, titled “Better data for better policies: The role of data and measurement in financial inclusion,” featured four panelists – two policymakers implementing regular data and measurement initiatives in their own countries – Raul Hernandez of the National Banking and Securities Commission of Mexico and Dr. Alfred Shem Ouma of the Central Bank of Kenya – and two researchers working to improve measurement methodologies – Yoko Doi of the World Bank in Indonesia and Prof. Krislert Samphantharak of the University of California in San Diego and the Townsend Thai Project. The panelists demonstrated that in the area of financial inclusion there are significant and tangible opportunities for, and examples of, policymakers leveraging the inputs and findings from the research community in their work.

From designing and implementing to monitoring and evaluating financial inclusion policies, data plays a critical and indispensable role. With this in mind, in June 2010, AFI formed a working group of policymakers  from around the world dedicated to improving the quality and use of data in the policymaking process. Hernandez chairs the group and Dr. Ouma is a member. The GDN session advanced the dialogue of the AFI working group, through a provocative question and answer session with the audience following the presentations, touching on the practical implications of implementing such financial inclusion surveys, the policy implications of the study findings, how to engage the different stakeholders in both the research process and in actually using the findings, and the importance of arriving at a common definition of what financial inclusion is.

The GDN conference was attended by distinguished researchers and policymakers from around the world. Speakers included Juan Manuel Santos, President of Colombia, Ernest Zedillo, the Chairman of the GDN Board of Directors and former President of Mexico, and Juan Carlos Echeverry, the Finance Minister of Colombia, among others.