Guidelines for Impact Monitoring & Assessment in Microfinance ...

OBJECTIVES
ACTIVITIES
RESPONSIBILITY
PARTICIPANTS
IMPLEMENTATION STEPS
STEP 1: IDENTIFICATION OF CORE ISSUES
Gather baseline data about financial and institutional viability
of the microfinance programme with a focus on the client level
Assess environmental conditions and potential factors of influence
for all operational units
Understand individual and household income-generating and
survival strategies
Analyse programme effectiveness: financial market conditions,
programme history, programme outreach and performance
Analyse environmental conditions: government policies, the
natural environment, physical, social, economic and institutional
infrastructures and the socio-economic context
Analyse the household: household composition, household
socio-economic portfolios, vulnerability of livelihood and gender-related
issues
IM Team, with microfinance programme management serving as
survey coordinators
IM Team, programme staff
TIMING Before beginning IM
Selected strategic key informants (local authorities, scientists,
programme officials) and focus groups (client groups)
At the identification/orientation stage
At each planning or re-orientation phase
METHODS/ TOOLS Rapid Appraisal Methods:
- Problem ranking; seasonal calendars, preference ranking,
DATA ANALYSIS
Understanding contextual realities ensures credible formulation
of impact hypotheses and indicators.
etc.
- Combination of semi-structured interviews conducted with
focus groups and key informants; time lines to explore re-
actions to crisis, Flux-diagrams, etc.
Secondary literature and programme documents:
- Gathering of information from existing documentation and
records (balance sheets, income statements, portfolio re-
ports)
Descriptive codes, interview summary sheets and matrixes,
portfolio reports
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