Microfinance offers to poor/unbanked/financially underserved people rapid access to a diverse range of basic financial services such as loans, savings, money transfer services and microinsurance in order to run their businesses, build assets, ensure smooth self-consumption, and manage risks. Different types of financial services providers for these type of customers have emerged: non-government organizations; credit cooperatives; community-based development institutions like self-help groups and credit unions; commercial and state banks; insurance and credit card companies; post offices; etc. The financial products and services offered to these types of customers have proven to be a powerful instrument for facilitating access to finance, self-economic empowering and poverty alleviation, enabling them to build assets, increase incomes, and reduce their vulnerability to economic stress. While the internet and the public/university libraries provides for an abundant literature presenting THEORIES related to a professional and performant microfinance management, the managers, practitioners, experts and everyone else interested are facing BOTH a scarcity of REAL LIFE MICROFINANCE BEST PRACTICES (papers, manuals, procedures, systems, models, practical case studies, web-links) as well as non-uniform and sometime confusing standards. Therefore I created the MICROFINANCE BEST PRACTICE group (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3040764&trk=anet_ug_hm) , with the aim of facilitating exchanges of thoughts, papers, manuals, procedures, systems, models, practical case studies, web-links, etc. presenting REAL LIFE, IMPLEMENTED BEST PRACTICES that can be REPLICATED into other FUTURE REAL LIFE MICROFINANCE UNDERTAKINGS. By joining the Microfinance Best Practices group all members MUST comply BOTH to the group’s POLICY and BEST PRACTICES DEFINITIONS, otherwise they will face the risk of being blocked and eventually removed from this community. George Staicu-Group Founder & Owner Senior banking & microfinance consultant
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MICROFINANCE BEST PRACTICES GROUP - PROPOSED SUBGROPS & TOPICS
Microfinance Best Practices - Standard / basic definitions & Cross-cutting issues
Microfinance Best Practices - Church & Charity promoted microfinance institutions
Microfinance Best Practices - Microfinance versus banking
Microfinance Best Practices - How to set-up a MFI
Microfinance Best Practices - Donor fundraising
Microfinance Best Practices - Corporate governance; Owners / Board responsibilities
Microfinance Best Practices - Strategic planning
Microfinance Best Practices - Products and Services
Microfinance Best Practices - Customers, Markets & Marketing
Microfinance Best Practices - Human Resources development
Microfinance Best Practices - Internal control, Internal audit, External audit;
Microfinance Best Practices - Enterprise Risk Management
Anti Money Laundering
Basel II for MFIs
Microfinance Best Practices - Asset & Liability Management
Microfinance Best Practices - Financial – Accounting - Performance management;
Microfinance Best Practices - Branch network performance management
Microfinance Best Practices - Information Technology, MIS & Management reporting
Microfinance Best Practices - Regulation & transparency
Microfinance Best practices – Education, training, internship opportunities
Microfinance Best practices - Information sources
George Staicu – Founder & Owner of the LinkedIn Microfinance Best Practices group
Senior banking and microfinance consultant