FRAME Supplemental Materials
FRAME User's Guide:
SEEP offers a FRAME Tool User's Guide, which helps the reader understand how to input data, customize the tool, and create financial reports using FRAME. Please note however that the User's Guide is NOT yet updated for FRAME 2.0. Download the User's Guide here.
FRAME Demos
SEEP also offers six new automated demos introducing FRAME users to common tasks. If you are using Internet Explorer, click on the link to open or save the demo. If you are using Firefox or another browser, right-click on the link and select "Save Link As" to properly save the file to your computer.1. FRAME Introduction: Introduce yourself to SEEP's FRAME reporting and analysis tool with this video demonstration.
2. The Data Input Sheet--Basic: Learn how to input data on the FRAME Tool.
3. The Data Input Sheet--Advanced: Learn the advanced features of the Data Input sheet of the FRAME Tool.
4. The Adjustments Input Sheet--Benchmarking Method: Learn how to incorporate adjustments, using the benchmarking method.
5. Adjustments Input Sheet -- True Performance Method: Learn how to incorporate adjustments, using the True Performance method.
6. Performance Monitoring Reports: Learn how to generate different types of financial reports from the FRAME Tool.
FRAME Update Log
Here are the changes made to all versions of FRAME in the past year:
2.07 Released 13 Nov 2008
- Corrected minor formula error on OutputMon sheet for some values of I4, Fees and Commissions on Loan Portfolio.
- Completed Spanish, French, and Chinese translations
- Corrected some formulas for section A3 on AdjInput for fixed asset and equity values
- Completed Arabic translation
- Enabled translation dropdown
- Corrected R4Px Formulas; were not including fee income; only had interest income; also, avg gross portfolio figures were inconsistent
- DataInput: C48 showed wrong figure for Year 1 and Year 2
- DataInput: corrected formula for P5[0] for Year 2
- DataInput: correction to internal count-of-entries-in-column for "current year columns" to avoid showing negative figures on OutputMon for first incomplete month
- Ratios: Correct calculation of average loan amount in the by-product subaccount lines for R17
- Import process was not bringing in all data starting with imports made from 2.0; imports from earlier versions was working properly
- Variance: Correct report to show "benchmarks" when "most recent period" selected
- Corrected "Plan YTD"column for MMR, QMR, BoardRep, and DonorRep sheets
- Corrected "% Achieved" and "YTD Variance" columns for MMR, QMR, BoardRep, and DonorRep sheets
- Advanced Import function
- Basic analytical graphs
- Improved Printing options
- Option for periodic (monthly/quarterly) rather than YTD, values; ability to do budgeting, ratios, and reporting with periodic values
- Basic compatibility with Excel 2007
- Aggregation Sheet for multiple branches of an MFI
- Variance Report to compare actual vs. budgeted data; or to compare current and historical data
- Addition of two historical years of data
- Ability to input up to four years of projected data; abolity to calculate ratios and adjustments with projected data
- Improved error-checking and warnings
- More user-defined subaccounts
- Ability to print the DataOutput sheet
- Correction to Trend formula in Trend Calculation section of MMR/QMR/BoardRep/DonorRep sheets; was using "current" value for denominator instead of "previous"
The Purpose of the Framework
The Framework assists MFI managers in developing consistent performance monitoring systems based on international standards and in creating financial statements for boards of directors, donor agencies, and investors.
Accompanied by the FRAME tool, the Framework teaches microfinance practitioners how to categorize, analyze, and use financial data for monitoring purposes. It offers templates and corresponding instructions for generating such standard reports as an income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, portfolio and activity report, and non-financial data report. And it explains how to calculate and use 18 core ratios (the “SEEP 18”) to evaluate an MFI’s performance in four key areas: profitability and sustainability; asset/liability management; portfolio quality; and efficiency and productivity.
Based on the work of a roundtable of donors, rating agencies, and The SEEP Network, the Framework and FRAME Tool represent the consensus of leading experts in the microfinance field.
Help Desk
SEEP has an online help desk for all of your FRAME questions! Contact us at FRAME@seepnetwork.org for any technical questions related to the FRAME Tool.