a c c e s s d e v e l o p m e n t s e r v i c e s

1. Technical Incubation Services for Institutions (NGOs / MFIs)

The NGOs / MFIs are generally constrained in reaching a break-even level and finally achieving sustainability primarily due to a narrow client and product base, high operational and administrative costs for delivering credit to the poor, and their inability to mobilize requisite resources. Moreover, lack of technical manpower, operational systems, infrastructure and MIS are prevalent. In this background, ACCESS, inter alia, adopted the CARE-CASHE incubation model for start-ups, nascent and emerging microfinance institutions, which has three distinct phases spread over a period of four years.

Technical Incubation
• I-CAT Administration
• Business Development / Business Process Restructuring
• Development of Administrative & Operational Policies and Procedures
• Design and Development of products and services
• Design and development of MIS
• Strengthening governance and management practices
• HR development – capacity building and exposure visits
• On-site technical support and troubleshooting
• Supervisory and monitoring – Internal audit and control functions
• External Linkages – financial, institutional networks and technical resource centres
• Automation
• Transformation Process

First phase:
• Administration of I-CAT to assess capacity building needs and investment absorption capacity.
• Facilitate a Business Development Plan (BDP) for a period of 4-5 years to achieve standard bench mark levels.

Second Phase:
• Initiate technical assistance and mentoring
• Development of Administrative and operational manuals
• Internalizing the systems and operational procedures through capacity building trainings to the personnel.
• Onsite technical support and trouble shooting
• Supervisory and monitoring

Third Phase:
During this phase, the partner institutions are expected to achieve maturity and gain the confidence of institutional investors by attaining investment grade ratings from an accredited rating agency. This will enable the partner institutions to develop long term business plans and diversify funding resources.

Target clientele
• Retail microfinance institutions, NGOs, Community Based Organizations, Co-operatives, for-profit and not-for profit companies.
• Financial Institutions and Commercial Banks
• National and International Donors
• Governments

Outputs and Outcomes:
• MFIs will graduate to an ongoing growth phase by end of the incubation process.
• Achieve operational and financial sustainability
• Provide cost effective and efficient micro finance services to the communities

2. Thematic Trainings

ACCESS provides capacity building training to Financial Institutions, Government, NGOs / MFIs / CBOs and Technical Service Providers specific to their needs.

Outputs and Outcomes
• Institutions are strengthened in thematic areas
• Robust systems development
• Investors confidence is increased
• Effective financial portfolio and monitoring systems

Thematic Trainings
• Financial Management – Accounting, Financial Statements & Ratio Analysis, Portfolio Management, Interest rate setting
• Business Development Planning – Visioning, strategic, operations and financial projections
• Governance
• Management Development
• Disaster preparedness
• Market research and development

3. Client-specific Services

This set of services essentially attempt to leverage the know how of ACCESS to meet the demand from different client groups in the field of micro finance, as a fee based consultancy service. These services target at large institutions such as central and state governments, financial institutions, large MFIs, apex institutions such as NABARD, SIDBI, RMK, national and international donors, prospective microfinance training and educational institutions.

Client – Specific Services
• I-CAT Administration
• Business Development Plan
• Project appraisals and Supervisory monitoring
• Human Resource Development

a. I-CAT Administration
I-CAT generates baseline information on institutional capacity for managing and operationalising microfinance programme. It provides information on investment related risks. It helps to assess institutional capacity building needs and forms the basis for preparation of Strategic Business Development Plan.

I-CAT Components
• Governance
• Management Practices
• Human Resources
• Financial Management
• Microfinance Services
• Microfinance programme performance
• External Relations
• Disaster Management

Output and outcomes
• Institutional baseline
• A snapshot on microfinance programme performance
• Rationale for component wise scoring
• Capacity building needs assessment
• Financial statements
• Ratio analysis on the financial performance
• Investment absorption capacity of the institution

b. Business Development Plan
Business Development Plan (BDP) is an instrument for planning institutional strengthening, resource mobilisation and growth process. While BDP is an instrument, a “living” document, ACCESS envisages the preparation of BDP as a process that enables a microfinance institution to develop a common vision for microfinance programme, a realistic strategy and implementation plan and a drive to achieve growth.

BDP Components
• Strategic Planning
• Operational Planning
• Monitoring & Evaluation
• Financial Projections

Output and outcomes
• Provides an insight to its existing level of operations, capacities and the growth potential in its microfinance programme.
• Provides a framework for business promotion and institutional strengthening.
• Enables the institution to frame a vision/mission for microfinance programme and prepare a logical framework that will guide programme implementation and performance assessment.
• Help the institution to plan its existing resources and provides a firm basis to call for new resources.
• BDP document in itself exhibits institution’s professionalism and achievement orientation.

c. Project Appraisals and Supervisory Monitoring
ACCESS envisages supporting the national and multinational institutions and banks in institutional diagnosis and monitoring the micro finance programme performance based on best practice standards to facilitate investment decision making process and early detection of variants at the micro finance institutional level and also at investor level.

Target clientele
• Financial Institutions
• Commercial Banks
• National and International Multinational Banks

Outputs and outcomes
• Asset Management, external supervision, monitoring and reporting is outsourced
• Institutional diagnosis will ensure quality investments
• Best practice standards in governance and management are ensured
• Sustainable growth of the microfinance institutions
• Quality services to the clients
• Cost efficiencies are achieved
• Portfolio quality is managed
• Enhanced investment in the microfinance sector.

d. Human Resource Development - Maximum Microfinance -
National Microfinance Training Program
To provide a high value, comprehensive, service for building up much needed professional capacity in the micro finance sector and as a building block to establish the Brand Equity of ACCESS, it is proposed to launch a comprehensive training programme for the Micro finance sector at the national level. The training programme, tentatively titled “Maximum Micro finance” is proposed as a comprehensive program in micro finance for professionals aspiring to pursue a career in the micro finance sector. The Target Clientele for the training programme will cut across sectors and backgrounds and be directed at professionals from financial institutions, mid to senior level managers from micro finance institutions, micro finance mentors and consultants, and aspiring social entrepreneurs wanting to enter the field of micro finance.

The training programme will offer a comprehensive curriculum that allows for an understanding of all streams within the micro finance sector. It will focus on the practice of micro finance through training attachment at leading MFIs and field exposure. It will also offer specialized modules linking micro finance to other sectors like education, HIV, and disaster management.

Process
The key method for delivering the programme will include the following:
• Four-month program-three weeks in field, three weeks in institutional placement, balance classroom training through case study methodology.
• Key resource personnel to be empanelled for visiting faculty.
• Tie up with leading institution for infrastructure support. Possibility of Joint Branding will also be explored.
• Offer parallel track for specialization to different participating segments.
• Allow for sub module training and specialization for participants to ensure interest and demand.

To develop and structure this program, the process will include market research in terms of agencies offering similar programs, identification of possible collaborations, identification of resource persons, develop curriculum and a significant marketing effort to attract interest in the program

Outputs and outcomes
• Building a cadre of quality human resources for the sector catering to the financial institutions, donors, government, CBOs / NGOs / MFIs

Target clientele
• Management graduates
• Microfinance and MED professionals
• Microfinance entrepreneurs
• Financial Institutions
• National and multinational commercial banks
• National and International Donors