To support the development of microinsurance markets a project was launched under the auspices of the International association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS)-Microinsurance Network (MIN) Joint Working Group on Microinsurance (JWGMII) aimed at mapping the experience of five developing countries – Colombia, India, the Philippines, South Africa and Uganda – where microinsurance markets have evolved in varying degrees.

The objective was to assess how much regulation has affected the evolution of these markets and gain insights which can guide policy-makers, regulators and supervisors looking to support the development of microinsurance in their jurisdiction.

The project was majority-funded by the Canadian IDRC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with funding and technical support from the South African based FinMark Trust and the German GTZ  and BMZ. FinMark Trust was contracted to oversee the project on behalf of the funders. With representatives of the IAIS, the ILO, the Microinsurance Centre and the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF), the funders are also represented on an advisory committee overseeing the study.

To disseminate the findings of this project, a number of focus notes have been written to highlight key themes that emerged from the research.