Microfinance Initiatives

The Social Performance Task Force Subcommittee on Social Indicators is developing a set of core social indicators. Click here to read more and to read the report from the social indicators pilot.

The following are examples of social performance initiatives designed specifically for the microfinance industry, grouped by primary area of focus:

Social Performance Assessment Tools

Tools to assess social performance are now numerous and diverse, with the result that an MFI of any size, organizational type, business model, commercial orientation, target market, or mission should be able to find an assessment tool to match its needs. The section below guides user choice of an appropriate tool by outlining the differences in purpose, attributes, and relative strengths among all the proposed methods for assessing social performance. For instance, the CERISE tool focuses on the institutional process and internal systems through assessing intent, activities, and output. The CGAP Poverty Assessment Tool and the Progress Out Poverty Index assess social performance at the client level by looking at outputs and outcomes. The rating and auditing tools focus on intent and design, internal systems and outputs but can also review/verify the quality of data an organization has on measuring outcomes (dotted line). The dotted line is meant to signify that this is not the emphasis of the tool.

Tools to Assess Institutional Processes

• Social Performance Audit (SPA) Tool
  
  
• CERISE: Social Performance Indicators Initiative (SPII)
  
  
• ACCION SOCIAL
  
  
• MFC Quality Audit Tool
  
  

Tools to Assess Client Conditions

• Progress Out of Poverty Index
  
  
• FINCA Client Assessment Tool
  
  
• IRIS USAID Poverty Assessment Tools

Tools to Rate Social Performance

• M-CRIL Social Rating Tool
  
  
• Microfinanza Rating
  
  
• MicroRate
  
  
• Planet Rating

Social Performance Management

• Imp-Act Consortium
  
  
• MicroFinance Centre of CEE and NIS

Click here to tell us about other initiatives!