Expanding Financial
Services for the Poor
Microfinance Services Pty Ltd
27A
Goondiwindi Qld. 4390
AUSTRALIA
Microfinance
Services aims to assist international development agencies to improve access of
poor and very poor households, in developing countries, to financial services
which are flexible, useful and which
are financially and institutionally sustainable.
Microfinance
Services provides consultancy services in the broad fields of microfinance and
microenterprise to multilateral development banks, such as the World Bank and
the Asian Development Bank; Bilateral Development Agencies and United Nations
Development Agencies as well as International and National NGOs.
Australia,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lao PDR, Malaysia,
Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South
Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.
MFS Head Office management and
administrative personnel work exclusively to support overseas development
assistance projects.
Microfinance
Services has managed the following projects:
1 Rural Finance Reforms and Development of Microfinance
Institutions - ADB
2 Evaluation of
the Upstream Microfinance Capacity Building Project - UNDP
3 Training in
Market Research for Product Development - CitiGroup
5 Extreme Poverty
Programme Evaluation - BURO Tangail
6 Training in
Microfinance for Women’s Groups - AusAID
7 Chongqing
Comprehensive Poverty Alleviation Project - AusAID
8 The Microfinance
Capacity Building Programme in Africa - World Bank / DFID
9 Bangladesh
Research and Development Project - ADB
10 Qinghai
Community Development Project - AusAID
11 Mid-Term
Evaluation of UNDP Microfinance Projects in Myanmar - UNDP
12 Microfinance
Study Tour for Agricultural Bank of China - AusAID
13 Lao Forest
Management and Conservation Project – World Bank / Finnida
14 Inner Mongolia
Grasslands Conservation Project - AusAID
15 Pakistan
Livestock Sector Development Project - ADB
16 Framework for
Country Surveys for Microfinance - AfDB
17 Institutional
Review of Credit Management Services - USAID
18 Role and Impact
of NGOs in Bangladesh - ADB
19 Feasibility
Study for Oxfam Development Finance Institution - Oxfam
20 Afghanistan
Rural Development Project - DFID
A MFS Project Director is
nominated to every project, and is responsible for regular liaison with the
client and the on-site Project Team Leader. He/she has the responsibility for
contract negotiations, consultant management and the monitoring of project
progress against contract targets. MFS’s Project Directors have extensive
transition economy country experience - on both a long and short-term project
basis - and thus have a very practical approach to project planning and
management. The designated Project Administrators have the necessary
administrative expertise to support project implementation, including
mobilization and demobilization, travel and documentation requirements, and
assisting with report preparation.
All project staff are fully
briefed by the Project Director as well as management and administrative
personnel on project goals and objectives and MFS’s Quality Assurance
procedures. As part of this quality assurance process each field consultant,
regardless of seniority, is assigned a senior mentor who is available to
provide technical backstopping or support via e-mail or telephone.
MFS’s Accounting Department is
managed by a certified accountant and is staffed by trained finance personnel
experienced in major financing agencies’ invoicing requirements. Together with
the Project Director and the Project Team Leader, an Accounts Officer is
designated to ensure that the accounts system is suited to the specific needs
of the Project. The Accounts Officer is delegated responsibility for the
processing and monitoring of all financial aspects of the project. All
accounting and financial control documentation is retained, ranging from leave
records of all project staff, to asset registers and monthly cash books.
Over the years, MFS has developed
proven, effective financial management and control systems for projects, which
meet all financial management requirements. The modern, computerized system in
place caters for the rapid start-up of new projects, as well as modifications
and extensions to on-going projects. The Company’s long standing relationship
with commercial banks contributes to the efficient and prompt settlement of
accounts and fees.
MFS designs and manages
development projects that have poverty reduction as their primary purpose. It
provides technical support in the areas of:
·
microfinance institution (MFI) capacity building and training
·
market research for microfinance product development
·
MFI appraisals (institutional and performance analysis)
·
agriculture and rural development
·
policy analysis and formulation
MFS has been active in the development
and delivery of many of the CGAP MFI institutional development tools and
training programs as well as Microsave's market research, product development,
and marketing methodologies for MFIs. These tools and training programs are
briefly described below.
MFI Appraisal Format
This tool provides a
comprehensive structure for analyzing management and financial performance of
MFIs. It is used for retrospective assessment of MFI performance.
Business Planning for MFIs using MICROFIN
The MICROFIN business planning
process is a carefully structured strategic planning tool that is designed to
be used in highly participatory manner with MFI staff. It leads the MFI from
the initial steps of identifying or clarifying goals and objectives, analysis of
the market for microfinance and other environmental factors, through to the
development of detailed financial products, and operational management and
financial management systems. Importantly MICROFIN helps bring together a
financing strategy for the MFIs proposed development plan.
Accounting for MFIs and Delinquency and Interest Rate Setting
These two training programs are
designed to increase the professionalism of MFI accounting and financial
management procedures. This is often the technical weakness found in start-up
MFIs or MFIs that have evolved from broad-based development programs.
Financial Analysis for MFIs
This CGAP training course teaches
MFI staff the principles of operational and financial analysis. Particular
attention is paid to the analysis of loan portfolios and operational and
administrative costs, and bearing this has upon overall institutional
profitability.
Fraud Diagnosis and Internal Controls for MFIs
This tool involves a three-day
workshop followed by individual diagnostic consultancies. The workshop is
designed to provide an awareness of the types of fraud that commonly occur in
MFIs and suggests operational safeguards that can be put in place to reduce
this risk. The diagnostic consultancy that follows assists MFIs to identify specific
risks and weaknesses in the internal control procedures.
Training
of Microfinance Consultants
This is a five-day course which takes
participants through a process of responding to Requests for Proposals,
negotiating terms of reference, fact-finding and data collection, interview
techniques, analysis and concept development, relationships management, and
oral and written presentation. The
course is based upon the role playing of an MFI institutional analysis
consultancy and also teaches key techniques in financial analysis.
Market Research for Microfinance
The microfinance sector is still
relatively young. Geographical expansion of microfinance services has been
characterized by the replication of established products (such as the Grameen
Bank or Village Banking methodologies). These products, while appearing to be
"great ideas", very often turn out to be highly inconvenient to
clients or result in the exclusion of important market segments (e.g. extremely
poor clients). The market research approach has led to a breakthrough in
traditional supply-driven thinking among MFIs and allows the development of
highly appropriate, market-focused products and services. MFIs undertaking this
analysis for the first time are almost invariably astonished by the degree of
mismatch in their existing product structures with the needs and capacities of
their target market.
The market research for
microfinance approach is based on participatory rural appraisal methodologies
in which the researchers (working with MFI staff) develop an understanding of
the needs and capacities of potential microfinance clients through simple
information sharing exercises and non-structured interviews.
New Product Development
This technique draws upon the
findings of the market research and systematically develops and tests new or
modified financial products. These products are not only tested for their
appropriateness to particular market niches but are analyzed with respect to
their contribution to overall program profitability.
Microfinance Product Marketing
The Microsave marketing
methodology covers both product promotion and client service. Product promotion
is designed to ensure that product attributes and benefits are understood
amongst the target market. The development of improved client services focuses
on service delivery rather than product structure. Key concerns are the
improvement of products in terms of their ease-of-use and accessibility.
Permanent Professional Staff by Expertise
The Company employs full-time
professional consultants in fields relating to microfinance/rural finance and
microenterprise including agriculture and livestock production, institutional
development, financial economics and sociology. It has a permanent management,
consultant and administrative staff of seven.
Microfinance / Microenterprise |
3 |
Agriculture |
1 |
Sociology |
1 |
Total full-time Professional Staff |
5 |
1 Rural Finance
Reforms and Development of Microfinance Institutions - ADB
Project Name Rural Finance Reforms and Development of Microfinance
Institutions |
Country Peoples Republic of
China |
|
Project Location Within
Country Guizhou |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 6 |
|
Name of Client ADB |
No. of person months 7 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
4/05 |
12/05 |
$US 450,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed Professor He Guangwen:
Financial Demand Specialist Professor Du Xiaoshan:
Applied Research Specialist Dr Sun Rou
Mei: Microfinance Training Specialist Professor
Liu Wenpu - Microfinance Training Specialist Lucy Gray:
Microfinance Specialist |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project The objectives of this technical assistance project is to
develop undertake a feasibility study and develop tender documents for the
licensing of the first private retail financial institution in China. The project will (i) build capacity for RCC staff in
Guizhou to provide more effective loan operations in the post-restructuring
period; (ii) develop Guizhou provincial and related county governments'
understanding of and capacity for support to microfinance policy, regulatory,
and institutional development; and (iii) develop and implement a competitive
bidding process to establish a licensed model MFI in Jiangkou county and
potentially adjacent counties. |
||
Detailed Description of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services Pty Ltd is responsible for
implementation and administration of this entire project. This includes the
briefing and mobilisation of all consultants, project supervision via an
assigned project director, project monitoring and preparation of timely
project progress reports and financial statements to the client and other
project administration. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
2 Evaluation of the Upstream
Project Name Evaluation of the Upstream |
Country |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client UNDP |
No. of person months 0.5 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
05/2005 |
05/2005 |
$US 14,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed Robert Lucy Gray: Microfinance Specialist |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project The
Upstream Microfinance project was designed to provide capacity building to
decision makers and political analysts, opinion leaders and the population in
general regarding microfinance related activities in the country. The main
national partners that are involved in the implementation of the Project are
the Bank of Mozambique, Ministry of Planning and Finance and The
capacity building project was implemented by the National Directorate of
Rural Development (DNDR) from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development (MADER) and is part of the contribution from the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) to the Sector by providing all administrative and
bureaucratic support as well as financial assistance in partnership with
AUSAID and BAD/AMINA. An
evaluation of the project was requested in order to assess the level of
implementation of the Project in accordance with the expected outputs and
performance indicators; to analyse the quality, relevance, impact and
potential of sustainability of activities carried out in the framework of
expected objectives; to identify positive
and/or negative aspects that occurred during the implementation of the
Project and; to take summarise lessons learned. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance
Services Pty Ltd was responsible for the evaluation of the |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES
PTY. LTD.
3 Training in Market Research for Product Development - CitiGroup
Project Name Training in Market Research for
Product Development |
Country |
|
Project Location Within Country |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client CitiGroup |
No. of person months 0.5 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
03/2005 |
03/2005 |
$US 10,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed Lucy Gray: Microfinance Specialist |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project The The project was primarily intended to improve MFIs’
capacity to conduct market research, evaluate existing products, identify
needs and build institutional capacity to introduce new products and employ
produt costing methods. The Market Research for Product Development course
had the specific agenda of providing practical training in the following
areas: international microfinance product development, including those
initiatives that have succeeded and those initiatives that have failed,
focusing on the basic leading principles and processes, particularly those
that are effective and ineffective. The training was delivered from a practitioner’s
perspective thus providing an over-arching theory, as well as key points for actual
product design, market study, and methods for evaluating the success of one’s
product. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance
Services Pty Ltd was responsible for devising the course with the use of
MicroSave’s Market Research for Product Development Toolkit. A rationale,
strategy and structure of the training workshop was designed and managed by
the Consultant. The consultant was responsible for producing a copy of all
training materials in advance of the workshop. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES
PTY. LTD.
4
Project Name |
Country |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 1 |
|
Name of Client DFID |
No. of person months 1 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
09/2003 |
10/2003 |
$US 15,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any Enterplan |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 6 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed Bob Fitch: Institutional
Specialist David
Wright: Microfinance Regulation Specialist |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project The
primary objective of the this component to the project was to increase
professionalisation of the microfinance industry and adoption of corporate
governance standards. This was achieved by the facilitation of deeper
knowledge and understanding of microfinance at universities, relevant
professional institutions, and industry organisations. The capacity building
component provided details of the
different organisations and individuals to be targeted and also the skills
and knowledge that is required to be developed. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance
Services Pty Ltd was responsible for designing the MF capacity building and
research output of this project. A rationale, strategy and structure for the
capacity buiding project was proposed by the Consultant. Various programme
activities, suggestions for improved knowledge management and academic
research were introduced along with budgets for each activity.
Recommendations to develop an ‘ |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
5 Extreme Poverty Programme Evaluation - BURO Tangail
Project Name Extreme Poor Microfinance Review |
Country |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client BURO Tangail |
No. of person months 2 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
11/2003 |
01/2004 |
$US 18,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed S M Rahman: Microfinance Specialist |
||
Detailed
Narrative Description of Project BURO Tangail implemented the
piloting of the “Model Financial Program” for the very poor; a project which involved
finding out and implementing strategies that provide opportunities for very
poor rural and urban households to achieve sustainable livelihoods. It
focuses on changing the ways in which the interests of poor people are
represented in resource allocation decisions and local socio-political
processes that affect their livelihoods and their experience of poverty. The
basic program components included social development, special investment (savings
and credit) and employment generation. In brief, the project was designed
to improve living standards of the poorest
of the poor. Microfinance Servcies Pty Ltd was
charged with the task of completing a high quality professional assessment of
the program in order to test the efficacy and replicability of the model. Microfinance
Services’ key responsibilities included: an examination of the
appropriateness of client selection criteria; an assessment of the client
perceptions on products, terms and conditions, and service delivery
mechanism; an assessment of the behavioral aspects of the clients as opposed
to traditional micro clients in respect of attendance of meetings, propensity
of savings, making repayments, demand for other financial services and future
aspirations, etc; a review of the feasibility of working with this category
of clients in achieving those aforesaid objectives; an assessment of the
potentiality of mainstreaming into the micro financial services, analysis of the
indebtedness issues of the clients; the redesigning the piloting (if so
warranted) as well as for expansion of the hard-core program; recommendations
to BURO, Tangail for doing a simple business plan for replication of the
model or expansion; suggestions of appropriate institutional framework
embodying the mechanism to handle this segment of clients; and the identification
and recommendations as to the donors’ role in expanding this segment’s
outreach. |
||
Detailed
Description Of Actual Services Provided The consultants completed a review
of the ILSP pilot project, which aimed to increase BURO Tangail’s outreach to
the poorest of the poor. This project made several recommendations to improve
the ILSP project and to thus achieve greater outreach and sustainability of
its microfinance products and services. Microfinance Services was responsible
for implementation and administration of this entire project including the briefing
and mobilisation of the consultants, project supervision, project monitoring
and preparation of timely project progress reports and financial statements
to the client and other project administration. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
6 Training in Microfinance for Women’s Groups - AusAID
Project Name Training in Microfinance for
Women’s Groups |
Country India |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 6 |
|
Name of Client AusAID |
No. of person months 18 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
8/98 |
2/2001 |
$US 400,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any Women’s World Banking (India) |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 10 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed Robyn Cornford: Microfinance
Specialist Stuart Rutherford: Poverty / Microfinance Specialist Professor
Michael Scully: Financial Analyst
and Micro-Banking Specialist Anne
Kennedy: Gender and Development / Project Planning Specialist Anthony
Kelly: Community Development / Communication Specialist Vijayalakshmi
Das: Microfinance Training Specialist |
||
Detailed
Narrative Description of Project Microfinance Services Pty Ltd
provided 6 consultants to implement this project which aims to support the
Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD) in the execution of the
Indira Mahila Yojana (IMY) project. The IMY is the largest government managed
microfinance project in India with a planned coverage of over 1 million
women. The Training in Microfinance for
Women’s Groups technical assistance project created a cadre of 80 Master
Trainer of Trainers. In addition, Microfinance Services responsibilities
included the provision of specialist training to 30 GOI officials through a
study tour to Bangladesh and Indonesia (to critically analyse the strengths
and weaknesses of microfinance projects in these countries) and an Australian based training program. The Australian training focused on project
planning and management, microfinance implementation strategies, financial
analysis, community development and communication skills and techniques. Microfinance Services Pty Ltd also
provided support to the DWCD in the areas of key strategic advice in
implementation of the |
||
Detailed
Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services Pty Ltd is
responsible for implementation and administration of this entire project.
This includes the briefing and mobilisation of all consultants, project
supervision via an assigned project director, project monitoring and
preparation of timely project progress reports and financial statements to
the client and other project administration. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
7
Project Name Chongqing Comprehensive Poverty
Alleviation Project |
Country Peoples Republic of China |
|
Project Location Within Country Chongqing |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 18 |
|
Name of Client AusAID |
No. of person months 424 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
1/2001 |
6/2005 |
$US 10,000,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any Hassall & Associates International |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 395 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed
Narrative Description of Project The Chongqing Comprehensive
Poverty Alleviation Project is a multi-sector project aimed specifically at
reducing poverty through sustainable increases in diversified rural household
cash incomes in selected poor townships/villages in one district and four
counties in the south east of Chongqing Municipality. This is being achieved using a participatory
planning process to provide access to markets (village roads) and market information;
to strengthen the capacity of communities to increase their available labour
(water supply), capital, (microfinance) and know-how (information and
training) to diversify and increase cash incomes. |
||
Detailed
Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services Pty Ltd is
responsible for implementation of the microfinance component of this project.
This has included the conduct of initial market research into the needs and
capacities of potential microfinance clients. Based on this market research a
variety of product prototypes were developed and piloted among the target
clients. These products were then modified as required and following the
development of a business plan with the implementing
RCCs they have been rolled out in the target district and four counties. Microfinance
Services Pty Ltd has provided briefing and mobilisation of all consultants,
project supervision via an assigned project director, project monitoring and
preparation of timely project progress reports and financial statements to
the client and other project administration. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
8 The
Project Name The Microfinance Capacity Building Programme in Africa –
AFCAP |
Countries Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland,
Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 4 |
|
Name of Client CGAP (World Bank) / DFID |
No. of person months 108 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
11/99 |
1/03 |
USD 3,000,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project The Microfinance Capacity Building Programme in Africa
(AFCAP) was financed jointly by the Consultative Group to Assist the Poorest
(CGAP) and the British Department for International Development (DFID). While based in ·
Accredit qualified trainers and consultants for the
microfinance sector; ·
Market our key partners and AFCAP itself; ·
Establish recognition as the beacon for local, regional,
and international best and emerging practice; ·
Manage delivery of fundamental and cutting edge training
to microfinance institutions (MFIs) by local providers; ·
Coordinate provision of technical assistance to MFIs by
local providers, supported by international specialists; and ·
Contribute to the development of new products and services
for the MFI community. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
Pty Ltd role was to develop African-based microfinance consulting capacity by
providing on-site technical assistance to MFIs, through expert mentoring and
‘on-the-job’ training to carefully selected African-based consultants. In this
product, AFCAP provided highly qualified Senior Mentors to work with promising,
African-based professional consultants in the course of executing actual
consulting assignments for real MFI and donor clients. We focussed on
building both technical skills, many of which are analogous to the subjects
covered in the CGAP technical courses, as well as other professional skills,
such as report writing, presentation, critical analysis, and effective
communication. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
9
Project Name Bangladesh Research and
Development Project (TA 1440) |
Country Bangladesh |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout (64 Thanas) |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 6 |
|
Name of Client Asian Development Bank |
No. of person months 74 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
5/93 |
2/96 |
USD 800,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any International
Development Support Services |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 47 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project The Bangladesh Research
and Development Technical Assistance Project provided research and
development support to an ADB funded Microfinance Project Thana Resource
Development and Employment Project (TRDEP). This project has 150,000 clients
and is executed by the GOB using the Grameen Bank model of credit delivery
and microenterprise development. The TA has worked closely with the Grameen
Bank in providing training to project field staff and establishing credit
operating systems. The task of the TA has been not only to provide ongoing
assistance to the GOB in project implementation but also undertake research
and highlight issues limiting the effectiveness of the Grameen Bank model. The primary goal is to not only to provide critical
research into issues facing microcredit delivery systems but also to develop
the government executing agency’s capacity to analyse and act upon these
findings, and systematically monitor and evaluate the social and economic
impact of the project. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
was responsible for the management of the team of 6 multi-disciplined
consultants. It was responsible for project management in-country and the
identification and conduct of appropriate research topics. A major
undertaking was to design and operationalise a manual and computer-based MIS
for use by TRDEP. This MIS was introduced throughout the 64 TRDEP branches. Microfinance Services produced 6 research reports during
this technical assistance. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
10
Project Name Qinghai
Community Development Project |
Country China |
|
Project Location Within Country Haidong
Prefecture, Qinghai |
Professional Staff Provided No. of
staff: 10 |
|
Name of Client AusAID |
No. of person months 65 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
6/94 |
2/98 |
$US
3,000,000 |
NAME OF ASSOCIATED FIRM, IF ANY Hassall
and Associates |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 51 |
|
KEY Senior Staff Involved and
Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of
Project This project is a broad based
poverty focussed project implemented through the Planning Commission and the
Agricultural Bank of China (ABC). It targets Tibetan and Hui minority groups.
It includes water supply design and construction, microfinance /
microenterprise development, agricultural research and development, road
construction and the establishment of primary health care services. The microenterprise / microfinance
component is designed to promote asset accumulation and entrepreneurism among
the poorest section of the community. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual
Services Provided Microfinance
Services has been responsible for the management of the microenterprise /
microfinance component of this project. This has included the design,
implementation and evaluation of the component and the development of a MIS for
use by the ABC in the implementation of the project. Development
of this component has required a highly experimental approach in order to
adapt traditional microenterprise / microfinance methods to the needs and
capacities of Qinghai’s highly illiterate subsistence farming communities. A
number of the innovations tested and adopted relate directly to the
enhancement the financial sustainability of the microfinance program. These
include, contracting of the village level financial intermediation responsibility
to local women while utilising a formal bank (the ABC) to supervise these
village intermediaries and manage the overall program. The
microfinance / microenterprise model which has now been fully adopted
provides a greatly enhanced utility to its users while retaining simplicity
of management. The UNDP is currently proposing to utilise this model for a
Poverty Alleviation Project in Qinghai currently under preparation. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
11 Mid-Term Evaluation
of UNDP Microfinance Projects in
Project Name Mid-Term Evaluation of
UNDP Microfinance Projects in Myanmar |
Country Myanmar |
|
Project Location Within
Country Delta, Dry Zone and
Shan State |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client UNOPS |
No. of person months 3 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
9/98 |
9/98 |
$US 35,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any Not Applicable |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project Review of UN funded Microfinance activities in Myanmar. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided This included a review of program
management, portfolio analysis techniques, management information systems and
monitoring and evaluation systems of the 3 pilot projects being supported by
UNDP. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
12 Microfinance Study
Tour for Agricultural Bank of
Project Name Microfinance Study Tour
for Agricultural Bank of China |
Country Vietnam, Philippines
and Bangladesh |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 1 |
|
Name of Client AusAID |
No. of person months 1.5 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
5/96 |
6/96 |
$US 87,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any Hassall and Associates |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project This study tour was funded by AusAID to build the capacity
of the branches of the Agricultural Bank of China that were participating in
the Qinghai Community Development Project. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
prepared, and fully administered the Study Tour. A senior Microfinance
Services staff member led of a group of 6 officials from the Agricultural
Bank of China through 10 microfinance projects in Asia to observe and analyse
microfinance delivery mechanisms under differing social, political and
economic environments. The staff consultant’s role was to facilitate analysis by
group members of how different schemes attempted to achieve their objectives
of targeting and sustainability through manipulation of the credit and
savings delivery mechanism (ie. loan terms and conditions such as loan size,
eligibility criteria, maturities, interest rates, repayment schedules etc.). |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
13
Project Name Forest Management and Conservation Project |
Country Lao PDR |
|
Project Location Within Country Vientianne and Savannakhet |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 7 |
|
Name of Client World Bank and Finnida |
No. of person months 182 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
11/95 |
10/98 |
USD 2,500,000 |
NAME OF ASSOCIATED FIRM, IF ANY |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 170 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project The Forest Management and Conservation Project is designed
to assist the transfer of management authority of forest reserves from the government
to Laotian village communities. The microenterprise
program is diversifying household economies and reducing village dependence
upon the harvesting of timber and non-timber forest products for their cash
income. |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services has been responsible for the design
of the microenterprise / microfinance program for use by villagers
participating in the Forest Management and Conservation Project. This microfinance program design is noteworthy for its
decentralised approach which involves the encouragement of autonomous village
level banks run as independent businesses by village women but coordinated
through the Lao Women’s Union. The microfinance / microenterprise model
provides a greatly enhanced utility to its users while retaining simplicity
of management. Microfinance Services
also developed and provided training in the use of a paper-based MIS for use
by the Lao Women’s Union and village banks. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
14
Project Name Inner Mongolia
Grasslands Conservation Project |
Country China |
|
Project Location Within
Country Ulanhot, Inner Mongolia |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 8 |
|
Name of Client AusAID |
No. of person months 60 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
9/96 |
6/2000 |
$US 2,500,000 |
NAME OF ASSOCIATED
FIRM, IF ANY Hassall and Associates |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 54 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project This project is a broad
based poverty focussed project implemented through the Bureau of Animal
Husbandry. It includes agricultural research and development, rangeland
management, microfinance / microenterprise development, community
development. The microenterprise / microfinance component is designed
to promote asset accumulation and entrepreneurism among the poorest section
of the community. It is intended to allow economic diversification through
microenterprise development. This is intended to reduce the dependence upon
pastoralism and thus reduce grazing pressure on the fragile grasslands in the
project area. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services has
been responsible for the design of the microenterprise / microfinance
component. Development of this
component has required a highly experimental approach in order to adapt
traditional microenterprise / microfinance methods to the needs and
capacities of Inner Mongolia’s pastoral and subsistence farming communities. The microfinance / microenterprise model provides a
greatly enhanced utility to its users while retaining simplicity of
management. The UNDP is currently proposing to utilise this model for a
Poverty Alleviation Project in Qinghai currently under preparation. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
15
Project Name Pakistan Livestock
Sector Development Project (Sindh Component) |
Country Pakistan |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout province of
Sindh |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 3 |
|
Name of Client Asian Development Bank |
No. of person months 39 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
7/93 |
6/95 |
USD 500,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any Overseas Projects
Corporation of |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 15 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project The Sindh Livestock
Sector Development Project was part of a national project aimed at improving
livestock productivity in Pakistan. The major foci of the project were the
establishment of livestock extension services, pasture and fodder
development, animal nutrition and reproduction and genetic improvement. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services was responsible for the in-country management and supervision of the team of 3
consultants on the Sindh component of the Livestock Sector Development
Project. Technically, Microfinance Services was specifically
responsible for the development of the extension system, involving
preparation of extension material, identification of appropriate technologies
establishing producer organisations (as a means of channelling these
extension inputs and for marketing of livestock production outputs, primarily
milk) and credit and savings cooperatives. These were credit cooperatives
were designed to mobilise local capital resources for small on- and off-farm
entrepreneurs through the encouragement of savings by local wage earners |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
16 Framework for Country Surveys for Microfinance - AfDB
Project Name |
Country Africa Region |
|
Project Location Within Country Throughout |
Professional Staff Provided No. of staff: 3 |
|
Name of Client African Development Bank |
No. of person months 10 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of Project |
1/99 |
6/99 |
USD 200,000 |
Name Of Associated Firm, If Any |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 6 |
|
Senior Staff Involved and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative Description of Project Development of evaluation guidelines for assessing the
potential for sustainable microfinance development and expansion in Africa on
a country by country basis. The
guidelines outlines the geographic, economic, social and legal issues which
may determine the success, or otherwise, of promoting the development of
sustainable microfinance institutions in each given country. The objective is to develop a
strategy for the promotion of microfinance through the establishment of
appropriate legislation, regulatory mechanisms and possible incentive schemes
for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). |
||
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided Preparation of guidelines for surveying African countries
to determine a strategy for support to, and development of, sustainable
Microfinance Institutions. The survey approach focuses upon the use of
legislative and regulatory interventions to support the development of a
responsible and financially sound microfinance sector. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE SERVICES PTY. LTD.
27 Institutional Review of Credit Management Services - USAID
Project Name Institutional Review
and Training Needs Assessment of the Microfinance Institution - Credit
Management Services |
Country Zambia and South Africa |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 3 |
|
Name of Client USAID |
No. of person months 5 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
9/98 |
12/98 |
USD 100,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 2 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project Institutional review of Credit Management Services’
microfinance program performance and a training needs assessment of staff and
clients. The technical assistance continued to develop CMS capacity in
strategic planning, to develop its approaches to microfinance delivery. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Responsible for
providing on-site training to branch and head office staff in program
management, portfolio analysis, management information systems and monitoring
and evaluation. Responsible for drafting the detailed requirements of the MIS
to be utilised by CMS and the briefing and guidance of software developers. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
38 Role
and Impact of NGOs in
Project Name Role and Impact of NGOs
in Bangladesh |
Country Bangladesh |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client ADB |
No. of person months 3 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
8/92 |
12/92 |
USD 50,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any International Development Support Services |
No. of Man-Months of Professional Staff Provided by Associated Firm: 2 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project The assignment purpose was to conduct a comparative
assessment of the social and economic impact of a number of Government and
NGO rural development projects in Bangladesh. The evaluation developed
specific recommendations on potential modalities for collaboration between
the Government, NGOs and the Bank. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
was responsible for the in-country management of the team of international
consultants. Responsible for provision of expertise to conduct a comparison
of the relative impact of "minimalist" credit and savings models
and "comprehensive" NGO models of development (which place a
greater emphasis upon a broad range of community development activities). Undertook
an extensive review of the performance of NGOs and their capacity to engage
in bank financed projects. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
49 Feasibility Study for Oxfam Development Finance Institution - Oxfam
Project Name Feasibility Study for
Oxfam International Managed Development Finance Institution |
Country World-wide |
|
Project Location Within
Country Throughout |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 2 |
|
Name of Client Oxfam International |
No. of person months 5 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
9/97 |
1/98 |
USD 80,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project Oxfam International was interested in establishing an international
development finance institution with the capacity to
provide commercial finance and technical
assistance to medium sized microfinance and microenterprise
development institutions in less developed
countries. Initial clients were to be drawn from the 9,000 NGO local partner
organisations with which the Oxfam network collaborates in providing
development assistance to impoverished communities. The study recommended
against the establishment of a such DFI by Oxfam. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
Pty Ltd provided expertise to investigate the feasibility of the
establishment, by Oxfam International, of an international facility capable
of providing commercial finance and technical support to rural finance
institutions operating in less developed countries. This study reviewed the
institutional capacity of the Oxfam group and the absorptive capacity of
their partner organisations in LDCs and explored potential avenues of grant
and commercial financing. The study developed an outline of the likely
institutional and capital structure of the proposed entity and gave an
indication of the financial and technical products that may be provided. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.
20
Project Name Afghanistan Rural
Development Project |
Country Afghanistan |
|
Project Location Within
Country Badakshan |
Professional Staff
Provided No. of staff: 1 |
|
Name of Client DFID |
No. of person months 2 |
|
Start Date (Month/Year) |
Completion Date |
Approximate Value of
Project |
8/97 |
10/97 |
USD 25,000 |
Name Of Associated
Firm, If Any N/A |
No. of
Man-Months of Professional Staff
Provided by Associated Firm: 0 |
|
Senior Staff Involved
and Functions Performed |
||
Detailed Narrative
Description of Project The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development was
supporting efforts to rebuild the rural economy in Badakshan in northern
Afghanistan. This project aims to stimulate the rural economy through the
re-introduction of a stable, currency based, financial system. The program has been developed in an environment of high
inflation and in which bartering has replaced currency as the medium for
commodity exchange. |
||
Detailed Description Of
Actual Services Provided Microfinance Services
Pty Ltd provided expertise for the design of a savings and credit programme
to assist Afghan villagers re-establish small enterprises in the wake of the
prolonged Afghan war. Developed a temporary note of exchange (backed by the
Afghanaid (the implementing agency) which is tied to the local price of
wheat. The savings and credit program has needed to conform to strict laws of
Islamic banking. |
Firm’s name: MICROFINANCE
SERVICES PTY. LTD.