A platform for collective action
Accesss information and resources from the Social Performance Start-Up Fund for Networks managed by Microfinance Centre.
About the Social Performance Working Group for Networks
Objectives | Structure | Key Outcomes
The Social Performance Working Group for Networks was formed in June 2009 in collaboration with the Social Performance Task Force (www.sptf.info). The group serves as a platform for collective action for national and regional microfinance associations worldwide. For more information on the working group's activities, please click here.
Objectives
The Social Performance Working Group for Networks is a working group that convenes microfinance networks and associations from around the world to work on advancing social performance and social performance management with the associations and MFIs in each region. The three main objectives of the working group are:
- Advance social performance management for associations and their members;
- Promote peer exchange of learning across regions and among stakeholders;
- Draw attention to emerging challenges and opportunities regarding social performance regionally and globally, from the practitioners' perspective.
Why social performance and networks?
Networks are uniquely well –positioned to help usher the social goals of microfinance institutions into practice. As local, member-based organizations, associations have the in-depth knowledge necessary to design locally relevant social performance initiatives, as well as the ability to reach large numbers of practitioners. In addition, microfinance associations are well-positioned to develop a broad base of influence with industry stakeholders, including policymakers and investors. As representatives of the local microfinance sector, associations can advocate for an environment that embraces both social and financial performance objectives.
Structure
The working group is divided into five regions, each with its own Regional Facilitator who is either a CEO or a Social Performance Officer from a prominent network in the region.
Regional Facilitators 2012
Africa: Davy Serge-Azakpame, African Microfinance Institutions Network
Asia: Mehr Shah, South Asian Microfinance Network
EECA: Kinga Dabrowska, Microfinance Centre
LAC: Kenlor Howells, Red Centroamericana y del Caribe de Microfinanzas
MENA: Nancy Samy, Sanabel – The Microfinance Network of Arab Countries
Dividing the working group into regional sub-groups allows for a more structured intervention that better penetrates to the MFI level and allows each region to work on the topics that are of greatest interest to its members. Every year, each region develops a work plan based on the issues and themes that are most important to its members and carries out these activities throughout the year.
Key Outcomes
2011
One of the main goals of the working group is to build the capacity of network professionals on the topic of social performance. In 2011, each regional sub-group held meetings and trainings on various social performance topics with association staff, MFI members and other industry stakeholders. The total amount of participation in these meetings across all of the regions can be seen below.
Total SPWG participation results by region
|
Region |
# events |
# people trained/ participated |
|
Africa |
5 |
211 |
|
Asia |
10 |
402* |
|
EECA |
1 |
12 |
|
LAC |
3 |
50 |
|
Total |
19 |
675 |
|
*From 7 events |
Added APR 18, 2013
Member Spotlight
Kinga Dąbrowska
Senior Program Coordinator,
Microfinance Centre (MFC)
Kinga Dąbrowska has been working in MFC since September 2011. In MFC Kinga works in Social Performance Management program. Prior to that, she worked in Technical Secretariat for Cross-Border Cooperation Program Poland – Belarus – Ukraine and Pontis Foundation, Slovakia where she was responsible for managing projects related to development assistance, democracy promotion and development education mostly in the Western Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe. She has been also providing trainings and workshops to partner organizations covering topics such as fundraising, strategic and project planning, introduction to corporate social responsibility, cross – sector cooperation between NGOs and business, advocacy campaigning. Over the years she conducted several organizational audits and trainings on board staff relations. Kinga holds a Master’s degree in sociology from Warsaw University.
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