I think we can all agree that measuring the key metrics of our efforts helps us better accomplish our objectives. Well, what about assessing how well we are measuring those metrics?
As part of its commitment to measure the social impact of microfinance on the poor, the Indonesia Microfinance Association (IMA) requires all its member organizations to implement Social Performance Management (SPM). And in partnership with Plan International and the Grameen Foundation, IMA introduced the Progress Out of Poverty Index™ (PPI™) as a SPM tool to its members in a PPI Training of Trainer (ToT) workshop on May 25-27 in Bandung, West Java.
It’s Friday and it’s all coming to a close. Participants from FDEA and and MEC Feprodes are preparing their action plans—getting ready for their PPI pilots and ensuring appropriate allocation of time and resources for using the PPI. This is an incredibly important step in the process; we find that without action plans, many participants would return to their institutions, overrun with work, and PPI plans would lag.
Today I took a short trip with Ali (Babacar's brother) and Andre Roland Youm, Director of Operations at Caurie MF, to Thies in west central Senegal. Thies is situated 35 miles 56 km) east of Dakar, a 90-minute drive from Saly, where we held our PPI Training and Executive session. Thies, one of the largest cities in Senegal, is an important transportation center. The junction of the eastern Dakar-Niger River railway and the northern rail and road systems is located there. So is Caurie Microfinance, one of the larger MFIs within the country.
“Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat” - the sound of heavy rain on a zinc rooftop. “Image is important,” I hear Alou Sidibe’s* words in my head.
“Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat,” the rain continues. “Kafo is serious,” says Bourama, the first client interviewed with the PPI in the field test**, as we converse in his sitting room and he sweeps away the water that seeps in from the heavy rain outside.
“Can you drive a wheel? Can you drive a door?” As pictures of pieces of a car were passed around the room, these are the questions our trainers asked. Of course, the response was a resounding “No.” Just so, the trainers explained, “The PPI is like a car, you can only drive it if you have all the parts in place.”
The PRE-training. It’s the first time we’ve tried this approach--training a group of PPI trainers and then having them immediately train a group of participants from MFIs that are committed to social performance and interested in using the PPI. Why do it this way? We’re building capacity among our partners who, in turn, will build it further.
Teranga is a traditional Senegalese term meaning hospitality. Our wonderful colleague Babacar Sambe’s family did not hold back in showering us with all the teranga possible, taking us around, feeding us, and always having tea ready for those long days. Teranga gives the “T” in TLC new meaning . For me, teranga resonates with the cultures of so many developing countries--when a guest is present, the host will prepare atleast one extra serving than is necessary for meals.
Today I arrived in Dakar to join Sharlene Brown from our Social Performance team and Babacar Sambe, our West Africa representative. Along with our partners in the PPI Users Collaborative for Africa (PUCA), we were gathering for the second installment of PUCA PPI trainings.
