"Microfinance" has become shorthand for providing a broad range of financial services to a wide variety of poor and low-income clients. The expanded definition means opening up the financial sector to ensure that the poor have permanent access to financial services. And it means providing poor people with options.
Who should attend:
This course is specifically designed for development professionals, policymakers, and investors who would benefit from a deeper understanding of microfinance to assist their work in international development agencies (e.g., the UN, as well as multilateral, bilateral, and non-governmental donors); socially responsible investment companies that focus on developing countries; government agencies, diplomatic missions, and central banks.
The course targets development and government specialists who focus on areas such as pro-poor policies, poverty reduction, economic development, private sector and business development, livelihoods, employment promotion, and gender. It is equally useful for specialists in crisis prevention and recovery, environment, and health who seek a better understanding of how financial services are related to their spheres of work. This course is better suited for those with little previous experience in microfinance, or do not specialize in it, but currently have or will in the future have microfinance as a part of their portfolio.
Objectives
Participants will learn:
Course methodology
The methodology and learning tools employed reflect the state of the art in active, participatory-based, adult education. Course sessions will focus on applying learning to real-world situations and include presentations, case studies an interactive group work. The course is highly practical and participants will apply the techniques learnt step by step to analyze, decide and design microfinance investments. This is the fourth time this course has been consecutively been offer at the Microfinance Training Program.
Pre-requisites:
None.
