Microfinance Services Pty Ltd
PO Box 10781
Southport BC, Qld, 4215
AUSTRALIA
Summary of Microfinance Services Experience
Our Mission
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.
Existing Client Base
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.
<!--mstheme-->Geographical Experience
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.
<!--mstheme-->Project Experience
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
<!--mstheme-->Project Administration
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.
Services and Expertise
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
Some Specific Technical Expertise
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.
CGAP
Institutional Development Tools
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.
Microsave
Tools
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 |
|
Finance/Financial Analysis |
1 |
|
Economics |
1 |
|
Total full-time Professional Staff |
5 |
Firm’s Past Experience in the Field of Microfinance
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
|
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|
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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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|
Detailed Description Of Actual Services Provided
Microfinance
Services Pty Ltd was responsible for the evaluation of the |
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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. |
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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. |
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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
|
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|
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. |
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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 ‘ |
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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
|
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|
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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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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.