ສະມາຄົມການເງິນຈຸລະພາກລາວ – ສມກຈ

Lao Microfinance Association – LMFA

Our work

The MFA is operating in the following main areas:

1. Capacity Building (CB)

  • Provide technical services to all stakeholders, both members and non-members
  • Training Needs Assessments of members (conducted every year)
  • Organization, implementation, service provider and supervision of specific training courses for members. brokerage of scholarships for participation in (inter)national MF trainings and events
  • Conduct the Microfinance Management Certificate Course (MFMCC) continually
  •  Provision of day-to-day advice to members
  •  Conduct the Financial Education and Micro Business Planning for Clients of MFA member
  • 2. Knowledge Management and Performance Mornitoring

    •  Performance Monitoring & Benchmarking (collection, processing and publishing of financial performance data from member MFIs on a half-yearly basis), including facilitating access to the MIX Market
    • Dissemination of relevant information for the sector (through newsletter, homepage, Facebook, physical and virtual library, PR materials, e-mail)
    • Participation in international events organized by networks of which the MFA is a member
    • Member technical meetings (on a quarterly basis, with 1 to 2 microfinance focus topics per meeting)
    • Information and guidance to potential (social) investors and linking up investors with member MFIs
    • Conducting Social Audits of member MFIs using the CERISE SPI tool
    • Researchs

    3. Advocacy and Consumer Protection

    • Exchange of information and documents and quarterly coordination meetings with BOL
    • Provision of comments on regulatory and administrative documents and submission of position papers on important policy issues affecting the sector
    • Development of a Code of Conduct for members MFIs (as an effort at self-regulation)

    4. Support Village Banks/Funds

    •  Provision of Training service to Network Organization which supervision the village bank and village bank under the projects

    5. Organization development

    •  Launched and accompanied process for obtaining its license as a NPA
    • Designed institutional documents (By-laws, operations & staff manual, various procedures)
    •  Organized governance training and exposure visit for BOD members
    •  Acquired external funding (ADA, UNCDF, GIZ, Australian Aid-DFAT) to cover program and operational cost
    •  Secured funding for and recruited staff (Director, secretary, accountant, project assistant)
    • Secured certification as “SPI social auditor”
    •  Provide technical services to the microfinance sector and micro-business
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      areas

       

      MFA Services

      MFA provides its services as consultancy and conducts trainings on varieties of topics such as:

      • Provide Trainings on Microfinance Management Certificate Course in the Lao PDR (MFMCC). The Course is composed of 8 modules: Basics of Microfinance, Compliance & Internal Control; MFI Management & Governance; Product Development; Credit & Delinquency Management; Business & Strategic Planning; Human Resource Management & Leadership and Financial & Social Performance Management.
      • Provide Technical Assistant/Expert service and trainings on topics which related to microfinance and village bank, such as Human Resources Management and Effective Office Management, Leadership Development Skill and Workshop Facilitation
      • Provide trainings on Financial Education and Micro-Business planning for member’s clients and others organization
      • Coaching in writing Staff-, operating and others Microfinance handbooks
      • Brokerage and organization of trainings/workshops/events
      • Processing and benchmarking of MFI performance data and facilitating access to the Mix Market
      • Dissemination of information, studies and good practices relevant for the sector (MFA Website, Newsletter, Email service, Member meetings)
      • Translation of relevant documents and studies into Lao
      • Organizing feedback sessions for MFIs regarding policies, regulations, guidelines, etc. prepared by the regulatory and supervisory authority (Advocacy)
      • Information and guidance to potential (social) investors and facilitating and linking up investors with member MFIs
      • Conducting social audits for MFIs (CERISE SPI tool)