Place, February 2013

SP Fund for Networks

Universal Standards Workshop

Workshop Objectives

• Launch Universal Standards Implementation Project

• Share experience on managerial solutions we already

have in place (which are in line with USSPM)

• Identify key gaps

• Discuss the project work plan and plan the next steps

3

USSPM implementation project

Objectives:

• document solutions in MFIs that are in line with USSPM

• Support member MFIs in reaching partial/full complience with

USSPM by June 2014

10 pioneering networks

Standards areas: (LIST)

SP Fund Program (funded by the Ford Foundation)

3

Key milestones

Documenting existing solutions (3 case studies)

• Identifying existing solutions in line with USSPM (call for tools)

• Presenting solutions at the SPTF in Panama (1 scholarship for

MFI)

• Documenting solutions as case studies

Reaching complience (3 MFIs fully complient, 10 partially

complient)

• Developing complience plans by parnter MFIs

• Supporting partner MFIs in reaching partial/full complience

• Reaching partial/full complience

3

Expectations from the project MFIs

• Sign MoU/partnership agreement with the network

• Delegate SPM Champion – contact point and internal leader of project

activities

• Delegate Senior Manager – support to SPM Champion, ensuring buy-in for

the project in the MFI

• Develop project plan

• Implement the project and communicate progress with the network project

manager regularly– Identify and share solutions (call for tools)– Engage in case study documentation exercise (if your solution is selected for the

documentation)– Define level of compliance you want to reach, identify gaps and implement improvement plan

3

Benefits for the project MFIs

• Recognition as leaders by the industry

• Technical assistance in form of workshops, project meetings, technical

assistance (LIST RELEVANT)

• Scholarship for tools sharing for most active MFI (LIST ALSO OTHER

REWARDS IF YOU HAVE)

• Promotion by the network, SP Fund and the SPTF through featuring in the SP

FUND Newsletter, promotion at the SPTF meeting (LIST LOCAL MEANS AS

WELL)

3

Session: Universal Standards for SPM

Overview:

• How and why the Unversal Standards were created?

• What are the Universal Standards?

• What are the benefits for MFIs and broader industry to

use the standards?

3

Puzzle group exercise

Make the puzzle:

Match 21 standards to an appropriate standard section

(6 sections)

You have 5 minutes to do it right to win the prize

A common resource for and by people in the field

The Standards were created by MFIs, networks, investors

and other stakeholders around the world, who identified the

need and worked together to create a common resource.

There are 21 standards, organized into six sections.

They bring together many of the existing initiatives in the field.

“Tracking and monitoring how the MFI’s mission is embedded in its day-to-day operation is key.”

–Ellen Willems, Triodos Investment Management

“What’s important is that the principals of the company are true to the mission and pursuing goals in a meaningful way.”

–Asad Mahmood, Deutsche Bank

“We want MFIs to be seen as a place where clients are treated responsibly.”

–Stuart Coe, The Co-operative Banking Group

"Understanding clients opens the way to developing services that are useful to them.”

–Jurgen Hammer, Grameen Credit Agricole

"Another socially responsible business practice is treating staff well.”

–Dina Pons, Incofin

“[‘Balanced returns’ is] both financial returns and social impact—not placing focus on one over the other.”

–Rekha Unnithan, TIAA-CREF

“They make your job easier because for the first time, all the information is consolidated in one common document.” –Network

The Standards can:

Clarify SPM practices

Guide strategies for achieving social goals

Set consistent objectives and expectations

Streamline reporting to investors and donors

kiefelphotography.com/fonkoze

A SPM Resource For MFIs

“The Standards are important because they are an attempt to distinguish microfinance that has positive social impact from microfinance that can be exploitive and damaging.” – Microfinance Practitioner

VS.

kiefelphotography.com/fonkoze

The Standards can build the industry’s reputation for improving clients’ lives

The ultimate goal

More MFIs better equipped to achieve their social goals

— and meet the needs of their clients.

Our work to implement USSPM

We will be working on two sections:

LIST

LIST

Sharing good practices and solutions &

Improving practices towards greater compliance

Session: Sharing good practices

Overview:

• What are the good practices which you can identify in

your organization?

• What was/is the process of implementing those

practices

• What are the benefits of implementing the SPM

practices?

Section [add name]

• [list standards]

22

Essential practices of USSPM

1.b. The institution collects, reports, and ensures the accuracy

of client-level data that are relevant to the institution’s social

goals (standard)

1b.3 The institution’s internal system for managing data (e.g., MIS) has the

capacity to disaggregate client data by gender and other key client

characteristics (essential practice)

1b.7 The institution’s internal system for managing data has the capacity to

analyze financial and social data together (additional practice)

Standard -> essential and additional practices

23

Identifying good practices

For section (which?)

1. Review the practices in the

handout

2. Identify existing good

practices and write them on

a card

24

Group exercise

Choose the solution which is the BEST practice and present it to the

group:

• Why this practice/tool/solution was introduced?

• What benefits do you draw from implementing this solution?

• Who is involve in implementing it (from staff, management, etc)?

• How much does it cost (time, money)?

• What challenges did you face when introducing the practice?

• What challenges do you see on every day bases when the practice is

being implemented?

• How could you further enhance/develop/improve your practice?

Time: 30 minutes

25

Section [add name]

• [list standards]

26

Identifying good practices

For section (which?)

1. Review the practices in the

handout

2. Identify existing good

practices and write them on

a card

3. Present best solution in

your group

27

Session: Improving Compliance

Objectives:

• Review current practices to identify areas for

improvements

• Set priorities for improving compliance within the

project timeline

3

Exercise: increasing complience

•What are the areas where you see opportunities for

increased complience? (handout)

• Prioritize practices, which you would like to implement by

the end of the project (list on cards and post on the wall)– what is mostly needed by my MFI?– what will bring most benefit to my MFI?– can I afford this? do I have required resources?– is my MFI ready to introduce this change/new solution? Is

there/will I be able to build commitment for this change?

Time: 20 minutes

Session: Planning

Objectives:

• Define winning strategies for increasing complience

• Develop project plan

3

Winning strategies to introduce changes

What will we need to do to make changes happen?

1. Get institutional buy-in

2. Securing required resources

3. Setting an implementation team

4. Developing a detailed planned

5. Monitoring the implementation (internally and by the network)

6. Providing support by the network

3

Available support

Resources:

http://www.sptf.info/spmstandards/standards-implementation-resources

http://www.sptf.info/resources/ta-providers

Network support:

• LIST

3

Project timelineMFI

Kicking-off the project

Plan

Sharing solutions

1. Submitting tools through the call

for tools

2. Participate in the case study*

3. Tools sharing workshop

Increasing complience

4. Implementing improvement plan

and reporting on progress

5. Reaching complience/final

workshop

3

Network

Kicking off workshop

Approve plans

Sharing solutions

1. Selecting a winning MFI

2. Faciliate the case study

documentation process

3. Tools sharing workshop

Increasing complience

4. Monitoring the progress/providing

support

5. Verifying complience/final

workshop

Developing draft action-plans

• Develop draft action plans using the template

Time: 30 minutes

3

Next steps

1. Share (repeat) the workshop discussions internally at

your MFI and draft plans within your MFI (by WHEN?)

2. Set-up project team (by WHEN?)

3. Finalize and send approved plan to the network (by

WHEN?)

4. Sign partnership agreements (by WHEN?)

5. Submit tools (by WHEN?)

6. Next in person meeting: DATE

3

Evaluation of the workshop

1. How do you feel about the workshop objectives to be

met?

2. Do you have any remining questions, concerns, issues

that haven’t been addressed?

3. Please evaluate the workshop using the evaluation

form

3

Thank You!Contact person: NAME

Email:

Phone:

SP Fund e-mail: spfund@mfc.org.pl

3