Useful resources

Good Return: Short Introduction to Universal Standards for SPM

Watch this video in French and Spanish!

Try these:

The SPTF’s Guidelines on Outcomes Management for Financial Service Providers: These guidelines describe 10 steps for practical and effective outcomes management.

Check out the latest SPTF Guidance Notes in its “SPM solutions to operational challenges” series:

Low Growth: SPM Solutions, Low growth can constrain your social goal of financial inclusion and may harm your financial bottom line. This guidance note will help you use the Universal Standards to tackle the challenge of low growth.
Client Delinquency and Default: SPM Solutions
Client delinquency and default erodes your institutional sustainability, and is a serious warning sign about client vulnerability. This guidance note will help you use the Universal Standards to tackle this problem.
Low Productivity: SPM Solutions
This Guidance Note discusses ideas and resources for tackling the issue of low productivity using an SPM perspective.
SPM Solutions to Operational Challenges
A new Guidance Note series will guide financial service provider (FSP) leaders on tackling key strategic and operational challenges from an SPM perspective.

The use of a Quick Decision Tree empowers networks to develop a draft strategy in social performance (SP) and a SP support plan. The SP support plan can be used as a communication tool to gain members’ interest and commitment to project activities.

We recommended that networks involve members (at a minimum Board members) in Decision Tree exercise (for example through a half day meeting). While filling in the Quick Decision Tree format in excel, a network answers questions that help it to reflect on important market trends through a step-by-step process, and identifies practical SP activities in response to these. Activities identified will be a mix of the following: Transparency, Capacity Building of MFIs, and Advocacy.

Detailed instruction on how to complete the exercise are found at the start.

Download the the Fund Quick Decision Tree .

The Gap analysis questionnaire, based on the Quick Decision Tree tool, and developed by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), India can be used as a survey tool to identify gaps in SPM, key players and initiatives undertaken in SPM and explore potential collaboration. Download the questionnaire here.

Introductory Workshop on the Universal Standards

This one-day workshop helps networks introduce the Universal Standards to members, discuss existing managerial solutions and examples of good practices across 2 selected sections of the standards. It also provides a tool to assess compliance with the Universal Standards , a key first step to developing the Universal Standards compliance improvement plan.

Download the following:

Workshop agenda (ENG;ESP)
Powerpoint presentation (ENG;ESP)
Additional slides (ENG)
Universal Standards puzzle (ENG;ESP)
Universal Standards handout (ENG;ESP)
Increasing compliance handout (ENG;ESP)
Workshop evaluation handout (ENG;ESP)
Introductory Workshop materials zipped (ENG;ESP)

Call for Tools

This document describes a process and instructions for organizing a country-level call for tools. The call for tools helps networks to popularize the Universal Standards and map current examples of MFI good practice and managerial solutions. Following the call for tools, a network may organize a tool-sharing workshop and/or document most interesting solutions in case studies. Download the Call for Tools guidelines

Tools sharing workshop

These materials help networks conduct peer learning meeting to discuss existing managerial solutions, share examples of good practices and discuss challenges and problems which MFIs may face. Download the workshop materials

Call for presentations onthe Universal Standards (ENG;ESP)

Documenting SPM innovations: Guidelines
This document provides step-by-step guide on how to organize a case study development process that is benficial for a member MFIs as well as informative for the network. The guide is based on a “diary” concept that enables the network to document practical details of existing policies, procedures or tools to be able to disseminate them to broader membership.

Download SPM Innovation Diary guidelines (ENG;FR;ESP)
Download template for case study (ENG;ESP)

Workshop for CEOs and Board Members to develop an SPM report for Board (created by SPTF)
This workshop helps develop solutions that increase complience of member MFIs with section 1 and 2 of the Universal Standards. This one-day event brings together CEOs and Board Members from different MFIs to develop a draft SPM report for the Board and agree on the process of its implementation within regular Board meetings.
Download the Workshop Agenda (ENG;ESP)

Presentation on section 5 of the Universal Standards (prepared by ILO and tested by AMFA, Azerbaijan)

Download the presentation

SPM practice report developed by MFN

Based on responses from 13 members, MFN prepared a mapping report indicating the level of compliance for each indicator in section 2 and section 6 of the Universal Standards. The report includes also one brief practice example for each indicator. Dowload the report

The presentations and supporting materials from Social Performance Working Group for Networks Meeting organized at the occasion of this year’s SPTF annual meeting in Panama are now available to download below.

JUNE, 5TH
Examples of practical ways to assess compliance with the Universal Standards:
View a simple self-assessment tool to help MFIs assess SPM and plan improvements in line with the Universal Standards using by AMFIU, Uganda and PMN, Pakistan

Learn about how to develop country report using the Universal Standards framework (tools and methods of analysis). View the PROFIN presentation here (ENG;ESP)
View a sample member evaluation and action plan from RFR (Ecuador) here
MIX’s new social performance validation methodology, collection of new indicators and geospatial maps.
View the MIX presentation here

Download all session presentations in zip format here

JUNE, 8TH
Practical tools and examples supporting implementation of the Universal Standards:

Client Satisfaction Survey and Client Exit Monitoring Survey from PBC presented by MCPI, The Philippines. View the presentation here
Client Satisfaction Survey and Client Exist Survey from Al Majmoua from Lebanon presented by MFN. View the presentation here
View Genesis case study about activities to support practice in section 4a. Download the Genesis presentation here (ENG;ESP)

How to develop a case studies download the guide here and see a short presentation on how to use the guide here

Learn about the results from testing phase and first lessons learned of FOROLOC certification. View the FOROLOC presentation here

SP Fund presentation with the survey results from Network meeting. The SP Fund presentation includes feedback collected from 22 networks about their work and plans. Download presentation here

Help your members identify good practices and key gaps. Download the survey
Learn the meeting agenda of ten SP Fund grantees (June 4th, Panama). Download the meeting agenda
Learn about initial network experience on assessing the state of the Universal Standards practice. Download the sessions presentations here

Download practical resources on the Universal Standards Implementation (ENG;ESP)

Download the Universal Standards Communication Materials from the SPTF website
Use this link to find a complete set of the Universal Standards communications tools (in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian), including a 2-page leaflet about the Universal Standards. The documents are formatted for printing and distribution among members and other stakeholders. You will also find editable versions of these documents, in case you want to transalate them into a local lanaguage. The website also includes ready-to-use presentations for MFI and Network Boards on the Universal Standards.

Pour lire ce texte en français cliquez ici
The materials were developed and tested by SP Fund SPM Start-up Program supporting 13 networks in implementing their SPM start-up projects in 2011-2012.
Team composition: getting your project team right
Terms of Reference (TOR) for SPM Coordinator
The SPM Coordinator is a key person in the network to coordinate and implement the project activities. The Network should make sure a person with proper skills and experience is appointed for this position. A qualified SPM Coordinator delegated to the project is key to ensure the project’s success and build required potential and capacity at the network level to ensure sustainability of its SPM work beyond the grant funding.
Download the SPM Coordinator TOR

Terms of Reference (TOR) for Network Board Member

The commitment of the network to start working on SPM is demonstrated by delegating one Board member to oversee the project and support the implementation of SPM by the network. It indicates that the network has strategically prioritized SPM. To identify the best candidate from among the network Board Members, the network may use the proposed ToR below. Download the Board Member TOR

ToR for Consultant for Start-up Component
A network should involve one staff member (SPM Coordinator) as well as an associated local consultant/trainer in the capacity building activities organized by the Fund (regional kick-off study tour and training of trainers, closing meeting). For identifying, selecting and appointing an appropriate local consultant/trainer, the network can use the ToR below, which lists the necessary qualities, skills and experience.

Download the Consultant TOR

Training Materials Sessions:

Introduction to SPM (ENG)
Introduction to Social Performance Reporting (ENG)
Client Protection (ENG)
Social Performance, Social Performance Reporting, Client Protection Principles ppt. (ENG)
Mission deconstruction and Social Goals Development (ENG)
Developing Social Objectives (ENG)
Social Goals and Objectives, Setting & Prioritizing SMART Objectives, ppt. (ENG)
Assessing Social Performance session (ENG) and powerpoint (ENG)
SP Standard Reporting (ENG)
How to report the MIX session (ENG) and powerpoint (ENG)

Handouts:

Introduction to Social Performance Reporting (ENG)
Introduction to Social Performance Reporting and Client Protection (ENG)
People’s Bank performance results (ENG)

Study visit assessment tools used in ASHI reading material (ENG)

A report from Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) and Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) is available in English

SPS Reporting Phase Guidelines are brief guidelines summarizing the discussions held by grantees during the Kick-off Workshops on how to implement the project activities related to SPS Reporting of members and preparing them for practice improvement in terms of SPM.