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Standards Implementation Resources

This is the future home of the SPM Resource Library for the Universal Standards. Help us build the library by contributing your examples.

This online library will house existing and new social performance management (SPM) resources, and will organize these resources by matching each to its related section within the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management ("Universal Standards").  In this way, the library will give practitioners easy access to resources to help them implement any of the practices found within the Universal Standards document.

This page is currently under construction.  Please excuse incomplete entries. We will update shortly.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE LIBRARY TODAY!
Contributions for any section are welcome at any time throughout the year, from all stakeholders in the microfinance industry.  Please email your contributions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  Although all types of resources are welcome, the library will primarily house the following:

  • Example templates, presentations, and other tools that MFIs can use to implement SPM practices; and
  • Case studies and interviews that illustrate how MFIs are implementing the Universal Standards.

Currently the SPTF is soliciting, in particular, resources relevant to Section 6 of the Universal Standards, “Balance Financial and Social Performance.”  Submit by 31 April 2013 to have your resources publicized through our Universal Standards Implementation webinar series.

THE LIBRARY
Click here to download an Excel version of the Companion Resource Guide to the Universal Standards (last updated on 8 January 2013).  The guide lists summary information about each resource and provides links to the website where the resource is available for download.
[Note: Library construction is ongoing, and library will be updated periodically throughout the year.]

Click on the names of each section of the Universal Standards below to see a sample of recommended resources for that section:

  1. Define and Monitor Social Goals;
  2. Ensure Board, Management, and Employee Commitment to Social Goals;
  3. Treat Clients Responsibly;
  4. Design Products, Services, Delivery Models and Channels That Meet Clients’ Needs and Preferences;
  5. Treat Employees Responsibly; and
  6. Balance Financial and Social Performance

SECTION 1. DEFINE AND MONITOR SOCIAL GOALS
The practices in this section focus on defining your target clients, social mission, and, goals and collecting client data to understand your progress toward achieving these goals. Click here to review Section 1 of the Universal Standards.  The types of resources relevant to this section are as follows:

  • A description of how the institution implements one/some of the practices in Section 1.
  • A copy of your institution’s strategy, featuring SPM.
  • A list of the institution’s social goals and/or targets.
  • A list of the indicators used to measure social progress.
  • A report from the institution that features social data.
  • A description of how the institution collects and ensures the accuracy of social data.
  • An example of employee training materials on collecting social data.

Resources from Real MFIs:

  • Indicadores de desempeño social, CRECER (Bolivia)
    • Este estudio de caso presenta el conjunto de indicadores de desempeño social que CRECER ha elaborado a fin de monitorear el avance hacia sus objetivos sociales. Describe también como, para cada indicador, hay un umbral meta al que CRECER apunta.
  • Client assessment questionnaire, EMFIL (India)
    • This is a questionnaire that an MFI can use with new clients to gather data on their socioeconomic status.  This helps the MFI assess whether it is meeting its social goals.
  • Social goals and corresponding targets, EMFIL (India)
    • This document lists concrete social goals and targets that an MFI developed in order to measure its progress toward achieving its social goals.
  • A guide for training staff on social assessment, MicroLoan Foundation (Malawi)
    • This is an example of how an MFI can train credit staff to collect client data accurately.

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SECTION 2. ENSURE BOARD, MANAGEMENT, AND EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL GOALS
The practices in this section focus on ensuring that Board members, senior management, and all employees understand the social goals of the organization and fulfill their role in helping the institution to achieve those goals.  Click here to review Section 2 of the Universal Standards.

Resources from Real MFIs:

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SECTION 3. TREAT CLIENTS RESPONSIBLY
The standards and practices in this section are taken directly from the Client Protection Principles (CPPs) and certification procedures developed by the Smart Campaign.  The primary areas of focus are avoiding client over-indebtedness, communicating effectively with clients, treating clients with respect and without discrimination, ensuring privacy of client data, and having a mechanism to address client complaints.Click here to review Section 3 of the Universal Standards.

Resources from Real MFIs:

  • Click here to go the Smart Campaign's extensive database of tools and resources related to client protection.  Smart Campaign has spent years working with microfinance professionals to develop and provide tools and resources that reflect best practices around the world.
  • Mechanism for complaint resolution, authored by Svasti Microfinance Pvt. Ltd. (India)
    • This document details Svasti's "Customer Grievance Redressal" (CGR) process.  It includes a flow chart that shows each step in the process, from who initially receives the complaint to how different types of complaints are directed to different departments. It also explains how Svasti makes sure that clients know how to use the system to register their complaints. 
  • Complaints mechanism and policies, authored by Finance for Development LLC (Azerbaijan)
    • This document details Finance for Development's clients complaints system. It includes a flow chart that shows each step in the process, from who initially receives the complaint to how different types of complaints are directed to different departments. It also explains how te institution makes sure that clients know how to use the system to register their complaints, and includes a sample complaints register.
  • Transparent collections practices, authored by Svasti Microfinance Pvt. Ltd. (India)
    • This is a guide that Svasti uses to train employees on how to inform clients about Svasti's loan collection practices.  It lists all the information that employees must give to clients about the steps in the collections process, as well as about client rights.

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SECTION 4. DESIGN PRODUCTS, SERVICES, DELIVERY MODELS AND CHANNELS THAT MEET CLIENTS' NEEDS AND PREFERENCES
The practices in this section focus on understanding the needs and preferences of clients, and using that information to design products that create benefits for clients.  This section also integrates practices taken directly from Smart Campaign's CPP certification procedures regarding designing products and services that do not harm clients. Click here to review Section 4 of the Universal Standards.

Resources from Real MFIs:

  • Banking on Youth - A Guide to Developing Innovative Youth Savings Programs, authored by Women's World Banking
    • This publication is a guide for deposit-taking institutions in any stage of youth savings program development––from those simply exploring the possibility of introducing youth savings, to those already offering youth products but looking for new ideas and strategies to improve performance.
  • Portfolio Analytics Toolkit, authored by Women's World Banking
    • This toolkit can help management to make better decisions on lending methodologies, portfolio quality, and credit policies, as well as to understand the suitability of certain products and to analyze performance against the mission.
  • Building Customer Loyalty, authored by CGAP and USAID with contributions from many microfinance institutions (global research)
    • Drawing on experiences of many microfinance institutions, including ABA (Egypt), BRAC (Bangladesh), CERUDEB (Uganda), FINCA Kyrgyzstan, and PRIDE (Tanzania), this extensive guide breaks down the elements of customer loyalty in a useful way and provides concrete tools at each step, as well as tips on how to put together your research.
  • SEEP-AIMS tool: Use of Loans, Profits, and Savings over Time, authored by SEEP (research contributions from MFIs in Bolivia, Eastern Europe, Honduras, Mali, Peru, the Philippines, among others)
    • See chapter 6 in this detailed guide—written by and for practitioners—to explore a useful tool for understanding loan use over time.
  • Case study: How can you make sure you're using client feedback effectively?,  AMK (Cambodia) case study in Imp-Act Consortium's SPM Resource Guide
    • See page 142 in Imp-Act Consortium's SPM Resource Guide for a case study on AMK, which learned to analyze client feedback carefully after it did market research on what clients wanted and heard strong demand for larger loans, only to realize that the wealthier clients were being vocal about their desires whereas poorer clients were being silent. Read all of Chapter 8 in this guide, "Client Service Issues" (beginning on page 135), for a good general reference on understanding client preferences and needs.

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SECTION 5. TREAT EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBLY
The practices in this section focus on the practices an MFI can implement to create a safe and productive working environment for its employees. Click here to review Section 5 of the Universal Standards.

Resources from Real MFIs:

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SECTION 6. BALANCE FINANCIAL AND SOCIAL PERFORMANCE
The practices in this section focus on how institutions set policies and goals around growth rates, choice of financing structure, profit level, and compensation of senior management, taking into account both financial and social goals. Click here to review Section 6 of the Universal Standards.

Resources from Real MIVs:

Other Resources:


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