We are convening a select group of social enterprise leaders at the <a href="/about/what-we-do/board-leadership-for-impact-program">Board Leadership for Impact Program</a> (BLI) inaugural workshop taking place October 27-29, 2019, at the Fairview Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya.

BLI is dedicated to empowering corporate leaders in the social enterprise sector to achieve business growth and social impact. By focusing exclusively on executive leadership and reframing board effectiveness as a strategic imperative, BLI strengthens leadership and management to ensure these companies sustain business growth and drive social impact.

BLI is offered as a two-day interactive workshop where participants gather with faculty and facilitators for role play, simulations, discussions, and more. Workshops are augmented with a robust virtual portal where participants can access resources and videos, participate in discussions, and stay connected with hundreds of leaders in our global network. At this inaugural workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with peers on issues critical to social enterprise growth and impact, including digital strategy and culture, data, partnerships and financial inclusion in the digital age.

Board Leadership for Impact Program Launch Workshop

Citi Foundation

Board Leadership for Impact Program

Kenya

Sub-Saharan Africa

Agricultural and Rural Finance

Credit

Banks

Financial Service Providers

Consumer Credit

Delivery Channels

Digital Credit

Digital Financial Services

Education Finance

Energy Finance

Fintechs

Governance

Housing Finance

Human Touch

Microfinance

Microfinance Institutions

Nano Loans

Neobanks

Partnerships

Risk Management

Underserved Groups

Event

<strong>WASHINGTON, DC, August 27, 2019</strong> – The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) has launched an executive education program for financial service providers serving low-income communities in emerging markets. Through peer learning and exchange, the <a href="/about/what-we-do/board-leadership-for-impact-program">Board Leadership for Impact Program</a> will empower executives and board members to foster client centricity, lead digital transformation, sustain business growth and drive social impact. In partnership with the <a href="https://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/">Citi Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.fmo.nl/">FMO</a>, the Dutch development bank, supporting program implementation and participant scholarships, the Board Leadership for Impact Program will offer multiple in-person workshops per year coupled with a robust virtual portal.

Derived from CFI’s five-year <a href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/about/what-we-do/africa-board-fellowship-program/">Africa Board Fellowship Program</a>, which fostered the growth and development of more than 300 executives and board members of financial service providers serving more than 10 million clients in Africa, the Board Leadership for Impact Program will now expand to include early stage to mature companies offering financial services to underserved customers that operate in emerging markets around the world.

“Our experience with leadership development through peer exchange will inform our efforts through this new program to cultivate a community of leaders who have the skills and the network to help their organizations thrive,“ said <a href="/bio/deborah-drake">Deborah Drake</a>, Vice President, Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion. “Tackling challenges like achieving sustainable growth or pursuing digital transformation, particularly as a mission-driven organization, takes strategic leadership at the board level.”

Through role play, simulations and facilitated discussion, participants will gain new perspectives, skills, and knowledge on topics critical to social enterprise growth and impact, including risk management, board dynamics, digital transformation and inclusive digital finance. They will join an active community of alumni of the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion’s <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/get-involved#fellow-exec-ed">executive education programs</a>.

“By developing and strengthening leadership skills that drive business growth and social impact, our partnership with the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion will help accelerate financial inclusion and economic progress around the world,” said Florencia Spangaro, Director of Programs, Citi Foundation.

“FMO is a proud partner of Accion for over a decade and we realize that creating a lasting impact starts in the board room. Strengthening the management of financial service providers and enterprises will help ensure business longevity and commitment to underserved customers,” said Gerbrich Salverda, Capacity Development Officer at FMO.
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>###</strong></p>
<strong>About the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion</strong>

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion (CFI) is an action-oriented think tank that engages and challenges the industry to better serve, protect, and empower clients. We develop insights, advocate on behalf of clients, and collaborate with stakeholders to achieve a comprehensive vision for financial inclusion. We are dedicated to enabling 3 billion people who are left out of – or poorly served by – the financial sector to improve their lives.
<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/">www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org</a>
<a href="https://twitter.com/CFI_Accion">@CFI_Accion</a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>###</strong></p>
MEDIA CONTACT

Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion
<a href="/bio/virginia-moore">Virginia Moore</a>
<a href="mailto:vmoore@accion.org">vmoore@accion.org</a>
+1 202.393.5113

The Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion Launches Executive Education Program for Financial Service Providers to Enable Business Growth and Social Impact

Customer Centricity

Informal Credit

Insurance Companies

Press Release

<div class="sc-bwzfXH llbJsz">
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<div class="sc-bwzfXH ejJzIl"><article class="jsx-1739195141 text-block__article">Africa Board Fellowship (ABF) program participants convene in Cape Town, South Africa, to close out the program’s 9th cohort.

The ABF seminars are an interactive combination of guided discussion and peer-to-peer exchange on governance best practices and risk-management strategies, with an emphasis on fellows sharing knowledge and experience.

World-class experts and leaders in microfinance and financial inclusion will facilitate and engage participants in active dialogues. The aim of the Africa Board Fellowship program is to connect board members and CEOs through peer learning and exchange to strengthen the governance of financial institutions serving low-income clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

Research has shown that the single biggest success factor in MFIs across the world is good governance. Program activities, structure, and content have been carefully designed to create an open atmosphere that allows for frank discussion among peers. Fellows identify their objectives for the program and then work with a program advisor on achieving those goals. Additionally, Fellows have access throughout the program to a participant-led virtual collaboration space with tools, resources, content, and access to subject-matter experts. At the conclusion of the program, Fellows stay connected as alumni, providing a network of leaders confronting similar challenges.

<a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/about/what-we-do/africa-board-fellowship-program/">Learn more</a> about the program.

</article></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Africa Board Fellowship Closing Seminar – Cohort 9

Africa Board Fellowship Program

<h1 style="text-align: center">Finance for All: A Round-Table Discussion</h1>
<h2 style="text-align: center">Thursday, October 4, 2018
12:30pm - 2:15pm
Armourer’s Hall, 81 Coleman St, London EC2R 5BJ</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: center">Supported by the Citi Foundation and the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion</h3>
Financial inclusion has become a big cause across the globe, and is increasingly becoming big business. It is also a risky business. Many of the markets where financial exclusion reigns are untested, the consumers lack financial sophistication, regulation may be unfriendly, and the technology may not always deliver what it says on the tin.

The CSFI has just conducted - with the support of the Citi Foundation and the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion - a survey of these risks using its tried and tested Banana Skins methodology. The result is <a href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/finance-for-all-wedded-to-fintech-for-better-or-worse/">Finance for All</a>, which identified 18 areas of risk for service providers and ranked them by the scores given by respondents. Technology risk was the clear leader, with “FinTech” firms opening new opportunities and new risks across all the markets surveyed.

Leading the discussion will be:
<ul>
 	<li>Keyur Patel, a CSFI researcher and lead author of the report</li>
 	<li><a href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/people/deborah-drake/">Deborah Drake</a>, Vice President, Investing in Inclusive Finance, Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion</li>
 	<li>Philip Brown, Managing Director, Risk, at Citi Inclusive Finance.</li>
</ul>
There will also be a discussion panel including Simon Long, International Editor of The Economist, who published his own special report on technology in financial inclusion earlier this year.
This will be an excellent opportunity to hear a hard-nosed discussion about the prospects for financial inclusion which takes account of the business case as well as the philanthropic.

Roundtable Discussion: Finance for All

Finance for All (Banana Skins)

Enabling Environment

Trends

The eight cohort of the Africa Board Fellowship (ABF) program convenes in Cape Town, South Africa for its opening seminar on October 17-19th 2018, followed by a closing seminar for the seventh cohort (October 22-24).

The seminars will be an interactive combination of guided discussion and peer-to-peer exchange on governance best practices and risk-management strategies, with an emphasis on fellows sharing knowledge and experience.

World-class experts and leaders in microfinance and financial inclusion will facilitate and engage participants in active dialogues. The aim of the Africa Board Fellowship program is to connect board members and CEOs through peer learning and exchange to strengthen the governance of financial institutions serving low-income clients in sub-Saharan Africa.

&nbsp;

Africa Board Fellowship Seminars October 2018

In this Seminar you will learn the following topic areas:
<h2>Risk Management</h2>
<strong>Problem Statement:</strong> The board is responsible for setting the tone at the top for an institution’s risk appetite. However, many MFI boards take a reactive role in responding to risk, reacting to risk management issues rather than proactively approving policies and risk limits which reflect the risk appetite of the institution. Instead of proactively address risk in a holistic nature by identifying and planning for risk management improvement within the business planning process, institutions often focus on some risk areas (liquidity, credit, etc.) and not others (strategic, reputational, etc.), not properly understanding the interrelated nature of the risks themselves. Boards have a large job and precious little time to do it. Lack of a proper understanding of the strategic nature and technical elements of risk management can cause a temptation to rely too heavily on estimates generated by risk measurement systems and tools (if they exist), rather than fully understanding and using their business judgment to challenge the underlying assumptions. Board dynamics issues can also pose serious threats to effective risk governance.

To govern risk well, board members need to: 1) establish and communicate a clear and transparent institutional risk appetite, 2) ensure formal and systematic risk management and monitoring tools are being applied and functioning properly, and 3) establish formal and systematic reporting channels which can ensure risk management information is reviewed, understood, and acted on by both board and senior management, and 4) develop the intangibles for good risk management.
<h3>Program Objectives:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>Understand the components of a comprehensive risk management framework for MFIs and the interrelatedness of these components</li>
 	<li>Understand the concept of risk appetite, including the setting and monitoring of an institution’s risk appetite.</li>
 	<li>Understand the role risk management plays within the strategic planning process (including the roles and responsibilities of shareholders, board, senior management, risk committee, etc. within this process)</li>
</ul>
<h2>Technology Trends and Innovations</h2>
<strong>Problem Statement:</strong> MFI boards, and particularly boards in Africa, face difficult strategic choices regarding how to adopt and utilize new technologies, both to improve existing operations and introduce new business models. The sector has experienced an influx of new financial service providers from telcos to traditional banks moving down market to online lending platforms and retail credit providers.  The rapid emergence of new providers and technologies has accelerated the pace of change making it hard for boards to decide what investment to make at any given time and how best to monitor those investments once a decision is taken.

Given the speed of the changes within markets, there is a natural tendency for institutions—driven by either board or management—to attempt to respond quickly based on “quick and dirty” assessments without fully engaging in the strategic planning to properly understand how a new technology project will support the overall business goals of their organization. To avoid this, boards need a systematic way of assessing both the strategic need and the technological opportunities available in the market to advise their businesses accordingly. Of course having a well-defined technology strategy is only the first step in harnessing the full potential of the new technologies in the market. To ensure successful implementation and adoption of new technology based products and services, boards need to fully appreciate the types of decisions that are likely to emerge once the investment decision is taken and to know how best to monitor the success of these projects over time.
<h3>Program Objectives:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>Understand key trends and new technologies in the financial sector, with an appreciation of the pros/cons and common challenges associated with each. Focusing on: 1) Innovative core banking solutions, including possibilities for cloud-based platforms.   2) Delivery channel solutions including mobile banking, ATMs, POS, Internet banking and extension services (mini branches, digital field applications)   3) Leveraging technology to collect and manage data (including scoring) and optimizing operating efficiency through new technologies including digital field applications. This will include a focus on how technologies can enable better data collection and management to understand clients more deeply and manage social performance objectives  . 4) Leveraging other distribution networks and partnerships including; agent networks, ATM/POS, national switches, mobile money and others</li>
 	<li>Appreciate the implementation lifecycle of delivery channel solutions and how this differs from traditional IT projects such as Core Banking Systems</li>
 	<li>Understand available tools and identify effective processes for introducing and/or assessing existing technology projects within the business covering the full project lifecycle through to post go live monitoring.</li>
 	<li>Recognize the need for a significant “mindset shift” to assess technology opportunities through a more rigorous business lens, based on analysis of the MFI’s strategic needs as well as how the technology will support the business. As part of this, the participants will need to recognize the attributes of an effective feasibility assessment and business case to guide the investment in new technology projects.</li>
 	<li>Appreciate the types of skills and experience that ideally would be available on a board to input and monitor technology projects technology.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Navigating Competitive and Challenging Environments</h2>
<strong>Problem Statement:</strong> As MFIs and their operating environments transition from small-scale, marginal players to significant actors serving important numbers of clients and filling a key role in the financial system, MFIs face a variety of challenges: sharper regulatory and political scrutiny, intensified competition amongst themselves and from new entrants for clients and staffing, the risk of over-saturated markets or a loosening of credit discipline, and more demanding requirements for MIS and risk management.  How can boards deliberately and strategically stay abreast of the dynamics of the changing operating environment and add value and oversight to management's efforts to preserve and enhance the company's competitive position? What tools and practices will help them navigate these challenges?
<h3>Program Objectives:</h3>
<ul>
 	<li>Identify best practices in board-level strategic process to look forward and anticipate where the market will be rather than where it is or has been.</li>
 	<li>Understand the characteristics of the stages of market cycles and ways to revisit and reconfirm the company's strategic competitive positioning and niche.</li>
 	<li>Recognize the impact of competition on clients and the bases of customer and staff satisfaction and loyalty.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

ABF Opening Seminar Spring 2018

New technology is delivering considerable benefits to the financial inclusion market – but is also creating new risks that service providers need to manage if they are to succeed. This is the main conclusion of a new survey of the risks (or Banana Skins) in the provision of financial services to people in emerging markets who have little or no access to these services.

Technology Risk Is High in Financial Inclusion Market

Consumer Protection

<p>The <a href="http://www.ada-microfinance.org/en/events/african-microfinance-week/otherevents-en#accion">Governing in a Digital Age Roundtable</a>, a CFI event hosted at <a href="http://www.ada-microfinance.org/en/events/african-microfinance-week">Africa Microfinance Week</a>, will cover key governance issues among leading CEOs, board members, investors and regulators from African microfinance and financial inclusion industries. Over two days, financial inclusion industry leaders will engage in peer learning and exchange about the role of a board as a vital guiding tool for top-management as new and disruptive channels and models emerge. The roundtable will also provide an opportunity for an “expert exchange” on technology, governance, risk and strategic planning.</p>



<p>The roundtable is by invitation only, but our team is attending Africa Microfinance Week and we look forward to meeting you. Contact <a href="mailto:dpiskadlo@accion.org">Danielle Piskadlo</a> with questions.</p>



Governing in a Digital Age Roundtable

Ethiopia

<h1>Major Findings</h1>
While technology opens the way to huge growth in the provision of financial services, it is expensive and complex, and contains risks of its own. Chief among these is the risk that providers will fail to understand it effectively and place themselves at risk. It could lead to irresponsible borrowing and debt difficulties as tech helps avail credit to more people. Technology may also attract providers who are more interested in commercial gain than in the social goals of financial inclusion, or those who are unable or unwilling to design products specifically for the excluded.

In addition to technology, the survey also identifies risks that are seen to be rising in this market. Chief among these is political risk, such as interference by government in the form of interest rate caps on loans, debt waivers and subsidized competition. The risk of bad debts is also seen to be growing as the problem of indebtedness among low income populations persists. Weakness in the governance and management of service suppliers continues to be a concern. The risk of crime, particularly fraud, cyber crime and money laundering, is a growing worry.   On a more positive note, risks that are seen to be receding include the state of the global economy thanks to growing signs of recovery, and the availability of funding for financial inclusion services, particularly in the form of impact investing.

Finance for All: Wedded to Fintech for Better or Worse

Report

<img class=" wp-image-25789 alignleft" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/30784872334_b499dfc281_m.jpg" alt="30784872334_b499dfc281_m" width="88" height="109" /><em>The following is part of a <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/tag/abf-blog-series/">blog series</a> spotlighting the perspectives and experiences of CEOs and board members of financial institutions, as well as industry experts, who have participated in CFI’s <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> program.</em>

In recent years, some African countries have experienced slower economic growth and less stability in their currencies. This deterioration in macroeconomic conditions has presented challenges for financial service providers (FSPs) seeking to serve the base of the pyramid and improve financial inclusion. Some ways macroeconomic conditions impact FSPs include:
<ul>
 	<li>Higher operational expenses (e.g., imported IT equipment and software; office leases and technical services invoiced in foreign currency)</li>
 	<li>Increase in non-performing loans as small businesses have had fewer growth opportunities</li>
 	<li>Higher cost of funds (both deposits and debt)</li>
 	<li>Reduced access to debt from international and local providers</li>
 	<li>Decrease in revenue or tighter margins</li>
</ul>
We're talking to <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> (ABF) alumni to share their experiences dealing with deteriorating macroeconomic conditions.

ABF alumnus Deji Fisho, Board Member of Fortis Microfinance Bank in Nigeria, provides insights into the implications for FSPs on the 2016 decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria to allow the exchange rate for the Naira to be market driven.

<em>It affects a microfinance bank’s exposure to dollar loans. When the currency devalues, MFIs have to spend three times more Naira to keep money in dollars. But with the oil market crash, there weren’t even enough dollars coming in for repayments, so people have to go outside the bank to the black market to get dollars. In a currency devaluation situation like this, MFIs won’t have money to lend. The bigger banks borrow from the government and the smaller banks borrow from the bigger banks. So there is no trickle down to MFIs if the larger banks don’t have the cash.</em>

Learn more in <a title="Deji_Fisho_Fortis MF Bank" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/deji_fisho_fortis-mf-bank.pdf">Deji's full interview</a>.

ABF Fellow Nkosilathi Moyo, CEO of VisionFund in Zambia, comments on how currency devaluations impact clients:

<em>Some of our clients are traders, so they buy goods from Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa and Tanzania. Devaluation meant that our clients had limited foreign currency to meet their business needs, resulting in default.</em>

<em>After the fluctuations, we revised our risk appetite statement to ensure that it is aligned with prevailing market conditions. For instance, the board made a decision that we should not contract any foreign currency denominated loans. Additionally, we reviewed our risk concentration to ensure we do not have too much focus on any one region or industry. For example, we are shifting some of our focus away from traders in the mine areas to smallholder farmers.</em>

Read more in <a title="Nkosilathi _Moyo_VisionFund_Final" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/nkosilathi-_moyo_visionfund_final.pdf">Nkosilathi's full interview</a>.

Regulators can sometimes respond to macroeconomic problems by imposing regulations designed to keep risks out of the financial sector. One response is to impose higher minimum capital requirements or higher reserve requirements. These may sometimes be imposed directly after a collapse of a similar type of financial entity due to a sudden bank run. Such restrictions can be debilitating for financial institutions, especially when they are imposed suddenly. Although meant to protect depositors, this type of regulation can push smaller FSPs out of the market.

In 2017, Mozambique recently faced challenges arising from multiple factors: political tensions and violent clashes, a debt scandal that resulted in the suspension of aid from key donors and endemic corruption. This affected macroeconomic variables, with a significant currency devaluation in 2016 and high inflation (15 percent) in 2017. These tough macroeconomic conditions led regulators to impose a higher minimum capital requirement on financial institutions. ABF Fellow Titos Macie, Socremo Board Chair, discusses the impact of that increase on the institution.

<em>The deteriorating macroeconomic fundamentals, along with the non-performance of two major banks (one liquidated and one placed under the central bank administration), caused the central bank to increase minimum capital requirements. Initially, the central bank had indicated that the new capitalization requirements would be 500 million meticais, an increase from MZM 70 million, so the board made plans to meet that requirement within three years by not paying out shareholder dividends [and using] share premium and retained earnings to capitalize the bank. When the official decree was actually issued by the central bank, the capitalization requirement was much higher: MZM 1.7 billion (US $26 million). Facing this requirement, the board had little room for maneuver. It took a decision to downgrade Socremo from a full commercial banking license to a micro bank license. Socremo can still do almost all financial services, except for forex business.</em>

<a title="Titos_Macie_Socremo" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/titos_macie_socremo.pdf">Titos' full interview</a> includes a discussion of the impact of currency devaluation on its clients. Accion discusses its recent investment in Socremo <a href="http://blogs.accion.org/features/plan-bring-small-businesses-in-mozambique-support/">here</a>.

Titos sums up how many FSPs operating in challenging macroeconomic and regulatory environments feel: <em>We are surviving and looking at a better future.</em>

<em><strong>CFI is currently recruiting fellows for the next cohort of the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship program</a>. If you or someone you know is a board member or executive at an Africa-based MFI or financial service provider, we recommend considering this opportunity.</strong></em>

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dialogue With Africa Board Fellows: Navigating Challenging Macroeconomic Environments

Mozambique

Nigeria

Zambia

Africa Board Fellowship Spotlight

Challenges and Crises

Policy, Regulation and Government Initiatives

Blog Post

Deborah Drake

Vice President, Investing in Inclusive Finance Program

Lizzy Bolze

Danielle Piskadlo

Alexis Beggs Olsen

Geraldine O'Keeffe

Sonja Kelly

Miranda Beshara

South Sudan

Uganda

India

Jordan

Middle East and North Africa

Credit Provision

Interest Rates

Social Performance

Financial Inclusion Strategy

Case Study

The majority of Kenyans have mobile money accounts; their activity demonstrates digital financial services’ potential. Accion helps Kenyan innovators harness emerging technologies to create new financial services.

<h1>Challenge</h1>
In emerging markets across Africa, microfinance institutions (MFIs) and other financial service providers (FSPs) play a critical role providing financial services to people who are unable to obtain traditional finance. Despite its important role, this sector in Africa faces enormous challenges. In 2013, our <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/microfinance-banana-skins-2014-the-csfi-survey-of-microfinance-risk/">survey of African FSPs</a> revealed governance and risk management as the primary vulnerabilities in the sector. Weak governance and risky behavior also <a href="http://www.cgap.org/publications/growth-and-vulnerabilities-microfinance">played a role in microfinance crises</a> in Nicaragua, Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Pakistan. CFI decided to commit to helping African FSPs focus on governance and risk—and not just individually, but at a sectoral level—to avoid this fate.
<h1>Navigating Obstacles</h1>
We quickly realized we would be starting nearly from scratch. The handful of existing governance resources on the market at the time comprised generic, one-off trainings or were geared to corporate participants. We knew that this kind of classroom-based, lecture-heavy, training was not an effective strategy for senior board members, whose time was valuable and who were often in positions of authority in other walks of life.

We wanted to create something meaningful and effective, tailor-made for FSPs, and delivered in a manner that would stick with participants so that they could lead their organizations and their industry to grow and prosper.

&nbsp;

Governance Peer Learning and Exchange Program Strengthens Financial Institutions in Africa

Though Nigeria’s government has set ambitious goals for financial inclusion, the majority of its people lack a formal bank account. Accion has worked in the country since 2007 to expand access to financial services.

<em><img class=" wp-image-25789 alignleft" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/30784872334_b499dfc281_m.jpg" alt="30784872334_b499dfc281_m" width="78" height="97" />The following is part of a <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/tag/abf-blog-series/">blog series</a> spotlighting the perspectives and experiences of CEOs and board members of financial institutions, as well as industry experts, who have participated in CFI’s <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> program.</em>

&nbsp;

Few countries have escaped socio-political unrest, conflict or periods of crisis. As the consequences of such events can be severe for both financial service providers and their customers, it behooves every board and CEO to consider how they might prepare themselves to respond when the political environment around them deteriorates.

[caption id="attachment_25747" align="alignleft" width="169"]<img class=" size-full wp-image-25747 alignleft" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/barnabe_francois-headshot-e1532552860511.png" alt="Barnabe_Francois Headshot" width="169" height="215" /> Barnabe Francois, ABF Fellow. Copyright Accion[/caption]

<a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> (ABF) alumnus Barnabe Francois, CEO of Microcred Ivory Coast, described a crisis his institution faced in early 2017 in which a range of events all struck at the same time:

<em>“In January 2017 former soldiers demanded money from the government and violence erupted. At the same time, there were strikes within the public administration that lingered for three weeks. The timing could not have been worse, since the government had recently kicked out as many as 500 of our customers who were selling on the streets. This affected us tremendously. We had been in the process of addressing issues related to repayment when the political unrest escalated.”</em>

The immediate effect was seen in Microcred’s portfolio at risk (PAR), which jumped from 3.8 percent in December 2016 to 5.1% in January 2017.Barnabe continues,<em> “Since then, we have struggled to get back to our target PAR of 3 percent. As for our clients, some of them are still facing problems. Many lost all their goods because they had to flee the area when the government kicked them off the streets. I should also mention that there were some who were not affected by the unrest, but took advantage of the situation by claiming they were impacted and refusing to pay.”</em>

The board was very concerned when this happened, and increased its attention to PAR targets. “<em>We had a high concentration of clients in one particular area. This prompted me to start an expansion plan and we have opened new branches in other areas in order to have a more diversified portfolio.” </em><a title="Barnabe_Francois_Microcred" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/barnabe_francois_microcred.pdf">Barnabe's full interview</a> goes into greater detail about lessons learned from ABF in navigating these challenges.

[caption id="attachment_25746" align="alignright" width="206"]<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25746" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/resi_janssen.png" alt="Resi Janssen Headshot" width="206" height="237" /> Resi Janssen, ABF Fellow. Copyright Accion[/caption]

ABF Fellow Resi Janssen, Board Chair of Finance, South Sudan Limited (FSSL) faced a more extreme situation due to political and economic chaos in South Sudan. Violence made it dangerous for many clients and staff, and at the same time South Sudan’s economy was hit with devaluation and inflation, making the currency nearly worthless. One predictable response was flight, as Resi explains:

<em>“In July 2016, some staff in one branch fled to Uganda and did not come back. Due to devaluation and inflation, the salaries of staff in terms of US dollars diminished some 25 times. We doubled the basic salary in January 2017, but this was still far from enough to earn a decent living…</em>

<em>Several clients lost properties. Businesses were looted (some tens, not hundreds). Because of the conflict, a few hundred clients fled to northern Uganda and DRC.”</em>

In her <a title="Resi_Janssen_FSSL" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/resi_janssen_fssl.pdf">full interview</a>, Resi offers the following concrete advice for MFI board members on how to support staff and clients during periods of unrest:
<ul>
 	<li>Make sure staff is safe.</li>
 	<li>Have a contingency plan, and make sure everyone is aware of the content. Staff need to know it.</li>
 	<li>Have as few costs as possible in foreign currency. Conflicts always cause devaluation.</li>
 	<li>Have as few expatriate staff as possible. They evacuate in times of crises and are too expensive.</li>
 	<li>Have offices in relatively safe areas, although “safe” can change quickly.</li>
 	<li>Have savings insurance.</li>
 	<li>Ensure some local board members who are committed, qualified, have authority to make decisions, and are not likely to go abroad.</li>
 	<li>Be in close contact with staff—at least weekly visits or calls with the CEO and monthly board meetings.</li>
</ul>
The services of financial institutions can be especially important for clients during difficult times. A wide range of financial services can support people at the base of the pyramid and small businesses to weather shocks from deteriorating economic conditions and social unrest. This underlines the need for financial institutions and their boards to anticipate and prepare to navigate challenging contexts. With the <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a>, we strive to strengthen the capacity of financial institutions at the executive level so they can do just that.

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Financial Institutions in Times of Political and Social Unrest: Thoughts from Africa Board Fellows

<em><img class=" wp-image-25789 alignleft" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/08/30784872334_b499dfc281_m.jpg" alt="30784872334_b499dfc281_m" width="90" height="112" />The following is part of a <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/tag/abf-blog-series/">blog series</a> spotlighting the perspectives and experiences of CEOs and board members of financial institutions, as well as industry experts, who have participated in CFI’s <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> program.</em>

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The mention of overheated credit markets sends chills up the spine of anyone who lived through the crises in Bosnia, Andhra Pradesh, Morocco, or Nicaragua, where market saturation played a prominent role. While regulators and investors have key responsibilities in avoiding these crises, boards of financial service providers (FSPs) must also steer their organizations carefully when more companies enter the space to compete for the same customers. And since portfolio at risk at 30 days (PAR30) is a lagging indicator in the earlier stages of a <a href="http://www.cgap.org/publications/regulatory-options-curb-debt-stress">credit market cycle</a>—growth and high liquidity mask debt stress for a time—boards have to be more creative about how to understand what is actually happening.

We spoke with two <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a> alumni from Uganda, ECLOF Board Chairman Vincent Kaheeru and UGAFODE Board Member Olive Kabatalya, to capture their insights on governing in a competitive environment. “There are about 2,000 institutions [in Uganda] that could pass for microfinance institutions,” explained Vincent. “It’s quite a complicated market because there are both big and small players. Even the big banks target the smallest savers and borrowers.”

Based on their experience, Vincent and Olive offered other board members the following guidance:

[caption id="attachment_25725" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-25725" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/abf-fellow-olive-kabatalya-at-table.jpg?w=300" alt="ABF Fellow Olive Kabatalya sitting at table." width="300" height="214" /> ABF Fellow Olive Kabatalya (left). Copyright Accion.[/caption]
<h2><strong>Anticipate Where the Market Is Going</strong></h2>
“For any strategic response to be meaningful, the conversation between board and management needs to happen early in the credit market cycle,” warns Olive. “Keep studying market trends in any way possible. Pay attention to the media, newspapers, central bank announcements and other sector players. Financial sector studies like <a href="http://www.finmark.org.za/publications/">Finscope</a> are very informative. Look for reports from and talk to microfinance associations.”
<h2><strong>Meet Your Customers</strong></h2>
“Bring the customer closer to you and listen to him or her,” said Vincent. “You can’t serve them generally. It doesn’t work. Client visits were an idea we picked from the <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a>. We [the board] had done them occasionally, but we intensified the number of visits and changed the approach to make the visit more effective. When you visit customers, you understand the context of all that is going on. That helped me and my team.”

Olive added, “We are visiting clients to ensure that we are not just reading performance reports, which do not usually include anything to do with meeting the needs of the client.”
<h2><strong>Get Creative with Target Market and Product Differentiation</strong></h2>
[caption id="attachment_25726" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-25726" src="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/abf-fellow-vincent-kaheeru-and-robert.jpg?w=300" alt="ABF Fellows Vincent Kaheeru and Robert Ongodia" width="300" height="214" /> ABF Fellows Vincent Kaheeru (right) With Robert Ongodia, Accion. Copyright Accion.[/caption]

“We have a situation of multiple borrowing,” explained Vincent. “Many people have three or four loans from different financial service providers. It burdens the clients. But I’m also aware that the target clientele is narrow. There are still many people at the bottom of the ladder who want to borrow. Lenders need to be more creative and develop products to bring more of the unserved ‘into the boat’…

We’re doing studies to be more responsive to the needs of our market. Everyone offers the common products. If we don’t differentiate, we’re the same. We’re looking at products that will appeal to the target market by helping the target market make money…

About half of our portfolio is urban and half is rural. Each carries different risks. In rural areas, we’re looking at agricultural value chains, helping the farmer bridge the gap between harvesting and processing; and [we look at] the market side, so farmers are not stranded with a crop and can fetch a good price. We’re also looking at microinsurance to protect our investment as well as [appeal to] the interest of the client in case of drought.”
<h2><strong>Pay Attention to Your Staff</strong></h2>
“We’ve had a challenge with our highest performing staff members being poached by bigger and better-paying microfinance organizations,” said Olive. “This has caused us to review staff benefits.”
<h2><strong>Ensure Effective Operational Controls</strong></h2>
In competitive environments, FSPs face all the risks of rapid growth, including a deterioration of operational controls, without actually growing. As loan officers become more desperate to achieve targets in a competitive space, shortcuts are taken and credit assessment becomes lax. Boards must ensure effective supervision as well as a robust system of checks and balances. “Although growth is what we really want, even as we thirst for growth, we need to be careful that we do not go down with the growth never to be seen again,” said Vincent.
<h2><strong>Improve Your Own Capacity to Manage Risk</strong></h2>
Olive and Vincent also both emphasized, and have exemplified, the importance of board members continually sharpening their own ability to manage risk. Vincent explained, “Things are changing. What worked yesterday won’t work tomorrow. As a board member, you have to keep reading, keep sharing experiences to stay on the cutting edge.”

For more details, read our complete interviews with <a title="Olive_Kabatalya_UGAFODE" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/olive_kabatalya_ugafode.pdf">Olive</a> and <a title="Vincent_Kaheeru_ECLOF" href="https://content.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/07/vincent_kaheeru_eclof.pdf">Vincent</a>.

<em><strong>CFI is currently recruiting fellows for the next cohort of the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship program</a>. If you or someone you know is a board member or executive at an Africa-based MFI or financial service provider, we recommend considering this opportunity.</strong> </em>

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The Board’s Role When Competition Heats Up

<em>The following is part of a <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/tag/abf-blog-series/">blog series</a> spotlighting views from participants in the </em><a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf"><em>Africa Board Fellowship</em></a><em> (ABF).</em>

Two experiences with interest rate caps – in Kenya and Zambia – demonstrate the power of political forces to shape financial inclusion policies and may hold lessons for MSME lenders in other countries.

In a recent unpublished study, the <a href="https://responsiblefinancialinclusion.org/">Partnership for Responsible Financial Inclusion</a> (formerly the Microfinance CEO Working Group) examined commonalities in the origins of interest rate caps in these two countries. In both cases, signs were clear that the general public was upset about the current state of loans and interest rates. Approaching elections increased the will among political leaders to make regulatory changes that would appeal to the public.

In Zambia, a populist president, Michael Sata, was the surprise victor in 2011’s elections. In his first days in office, Sata announced his priority of cutting the cost of credit for Zambians, a move in opposition to the country’s dominant banks. His remarks sent the domestic currency into a spiral. Inflation soared, and interest rates rose. These events helped create a sense of urgency for both consumers and legislators, propelling the caps through the legislative process. In 2012, Sata led the government in successfully passing his proposed law, which capped commercial banks’ loan interest rates at 18.25 percent.

In 2013, the interest rate caps were also imposed on microfinance lending. The maximum rate was set at 42 percent for a select group of microfinance institutions and 30 percent for other non-bank financial institutions. Following Sata’s death in 2014 and the election of his replacement, the interest rate caps were removed in 2015. The government’s approach in this area now focuses on pricing transparency.

Zambia’s interest rate caps were not particularly effective. To compensate for lower interest income, the banks began to charge more fees, keeping effective prices more or less the same for consumers. The caps did not create an effective solution, and ultimately banks, microfinance institutions and regulators agreed on ending the caps. Instead, strong regulations on pricing transparency were put into law.

A similar story has been unfolding in Kenya, which introduced an interest rate cap of 4 percent above the Central Bank of Kenya Policy Rate for regulated financial institutions in September 2016. The measure was viewed as a populist move. However, in the short time since the law’s enactment, signs <a href="http://africanbusinessmagazine.com/african-banker/kenya-interest-rate-cap-coming-off/">suggest</a> it is doing more harm than good to the overall economy, including the exclusion of “higher risk” borrowers like MSMEs, decreased levels of lending, and lower profits and stock values among banks. It seems the government is now looking to remove the caps given the impacts on the economy and financial services sector.

However, there have been some positive outcomes for the Kenyan financial inclusion industry – such as more innovations, especially in digital lending, because the banks are restricted in lending, creating an opening for non-bank lenders. Some Kenyan banks have also started to buy MFIs in order to lend through them in smaller amounts. The caps have caused banks to diversify their product offerings more – to insurance and leasing.

We interviewed two alumni of the CFI’s Africa Board Fellowship (ABF) to share their experiences about the politics and practice of interest rate caps.

<img class="wp-image-25583 alignright" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/jacqueline_musiitwa.png" alt="" width="387" height="500" /><em>Jacqueline Musiitwa is the Executive Director of FSD Uganda and a board member of Microcred Zimbabwe and the Central Bank of the Republic of Zambia. </em>

<strong>ABF:</strong> Can you share your perspective on the decision to implement, and subsequently remove, the interest rate caps in Zambia?

<strong>Jacqueline Musiitwa</strong>: "The Zambian experience seems to be similar to Kenya’s case – a populist approach with the hopes of encouraging lending to the masses. Then, quickly learning that the opposite actually happens: interest rate caps cause banks to stop lending, and the people don’t benefit. The first thing the current governor of the Central Bank did in office was reverse the caps. Increasing lending was a top priority. The Central Bank also had conversations with banks at that time about keeping interest rates low. The Central Bank learned that rate cap regulation hasn’t worked well historically, so they wanted to figure out how to work together with banks to find a solution.

Stepping back, the question is: how do banks charge interest in a way that makes sense for the population being served? Some people are unbanked for fear of charges. The Central Bank in Zambia is looking at how to get banks outside their comfort zone to serve new clients. How can they create a system of mutual trust?

Ultimately, you take a few steps forward and then a few steps back. Public trust in banks has everything to do with the safety of savings. In Zambia, the numbers were going well in terms of signing clients up at non-banking financial institutions and then in December 2016, a bank closed for three months during which time shareholders injected money into it. Clients reacted with: ‘You see, this is why we are going to put our money under the pillow’. The bank is now back but now there is still a fear of depositing in banks, so it is hard to get people to increase savings.

Regulators wrestle with how to communicate market stability when there is even just one weak link. You saw it with banks in Kenya. Dubai, Imperial, and Chase banks all went down in Kenya, and the reaction was the same. People either don’t trust banks or move to the biggest banks. Zambia is pushing through a law for a deposit protection scheme."

<em>The full interview with Musiitwa can be read <a href="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/jacqueline_musiitwa_interview.pdf"><strong>here</strong></a>.</em>

<img class="alignleft wp-image-25584" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/ivan-mbowa.png" alt="" width="317" height="476" /><em>ABF Alumni Ivan Mbowa, CEO of Umati Capital, offers a perspective on interest rate caps from his experience in Kenya.</em>

<strong>ABF:</strong> Kenya’s government introduced an interest rate cap for banks, but not for non-bank financial institutions like Umati. How has Umati been affected?

<strong>Ivan Mbowa</strong>: "At Umati we’re seeing a lot more interest in our services. About half of our clients are new to formal finance. They could never get money from a bank in the first place. The other half are coming to us for additional financing, because they don’t have the collateral to get more from banks.

The funny thing is that the clients don’t always understand the nuances between a non-bank financial institution and a bank, so when they see our rates, the first impression is, ‘You guys are just flouting the law—it’s supposed to be capped.’ We have to explain that the cap doesn’t apply to Umati. A good outcome has been that there seems to be a lot more awareness and questioning from clients on, 'What is the cost of your product?'

It’s also been easier to make the argument that even if you can access bank credit, it’s good to be multibanked, so that the next time there’s a freeze or a crunch, you’re not fully exposed. Savvy clients understand that working with Umati can be a hedging mechanism."

<em>The full interview with Mbowa can be read <a href="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/ivan_mbowa_interview.pdf"><strong>here</strong></a>.</em>

In one more example, the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) implemented more stringent caps in 2015, reducing the cap from 27 percent to 24 percent for MFIs and from 18 percent to 15 percent for banks. In the time before the new cap was implemented, the trend in bank interest rates had been downward, as a result of competition. According to reports from ABF Fellows on the ground, the lower caps did not have a very big impact on banks, especially considering all the fees they were generating. However, caps have inhibited lending to micro and small enterprises because, for the most part, banks were already limited in their lending to this customer segment. Private investors who are interested in serving micro and small enterprises have avoided the region, given that the caps lengthen the time to break even for a fledgling greenfield financial institution. Several studies indicated that many MFIs have been unable to achieve adequate scale and efficiency in their respective business environments to be profitable and sustainable.

Given the diverse outcomes interest rate caps can have, we’d love to hear more from our readers about their experiences with interest rate caps.

<strong>Have you read?</strong>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2017/02/01/are-banks-the-future-of-banking-africa-board-fellows-deliberate/">Are Banks the Future of Banking? Africa Board Fellows Deliberate</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2017/10/20/the-board-should-not-be-the-last-to-know-why-mfis-need-independent-internal-auditors/">The Board Should Not Be the Last to Know: Why MFIs Need Independent Internal Auditors</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2017/10/04/how-can-microfinance-institutions-in-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-manage-risk-and-meet-client-demand-governance-is-key/">How Can Microfinance Institutions in the Middle East and North Africa Manage Risk and Meet Client Demand? Governance Is Key!</a>

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The Politics (and Varied Experiences) of Interest Rate Caps

Digital trends in the African financial inclusion sector are evolving quickly. With the entrance of fintech startups and a more tech savvy client base, the role of corporate governance is more important than ever. As David Kombanie, Board Member of VisionFund put it: <strong>“Disruptive innovations are here with us. It’s change or die.” </strong>

Kombanie, along with more than 50 CEOs, board members, investors, fintech leaders, and regulators from Africa’s financial inclusion industry, engaged in a peer-learning exchange roundtable, <em>Governing in a Digital World</em><em>.</em> This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2zVq24iEes&amp;w=560&amp;h=31">video</a> provides an overview of discussions and key takeaways from the participants:
<h2>Governance for Financial Service Providers in a Digital World</h2>
The roundtable’s peer-to-peer exchanges provided three important governance considerations and recommendations for the boards of financial service providers (FSPs) as they evolve with the digital world:

<strong>Develop a Digital Strategy</strong>

Many FSPs aren’t adequately prepared for the disruption created as technologies enter the market. At the same time, it’s important not to digitize for the sake of digitizing. Boards of FSPs should have a clear strategy and understanding of how digitization can improve product offerings and back office operations. Their role is to provide leadership and expertise to guide the institution in developing and implementing a digital strategy. Change management and gaining knowledge about technology are key components for such success.
<h4><strong>Ensure Board Leadership and Expertise</strong></h4>
Understanding and filling technology knowledge gaps on the board is crucial for ensuring strategic leadership of the FSP. Boards should be evaluating their competitive advantage, rather than following trends. Rohit Acharay, co-founder of First Access says that answering the questions: <strong>“What are we good at, who are our customers, and how do we create products that really serve them...?”</strong> is the first evaluating step for FSP boards to take.

<strong>Better Utilize Data to Serve Clients </strong>

Fintech startups serving low-income clients use data to gain competitive advantage. In contrast, many FSPs have an abundance of underutilized data that could be leveraged to better segment clients. For example, different levels of human touch and support may be needed for different client segments.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRjEBXzDaEA&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]
<h3>Governance for Fintech Startups</h3>
For start-ups, building a technologically-advanced product isn’t enough. It’s also important to focus on building governance structures while navigating regulation and prioritizing client centricity. Key governance recommendations for fintech and innovative startups include:
<h4>Engage with Regulators</h4>
Regulation tends to lag new players entering the financial inclusion sector. However, regulations inevitably will catch up, and fintechs need to be proactive in doing things ‘right’ initially to avoid regulatory trouble later on. Paul Lamont, Director of Digital Services for Accion in Africa, noted that because some disruptive technologies <strong>“move faster than regulation”</strong> it’s important for fintechs to build close working relationships with regulators to stay aligned with evolving regulatory environments and provide perspective to regulators about pushing the boundaries that drive financial inclusion. Fintechs should ensure the lines of communication with regulators remain open so that there is a clear understanding of the products and services offered.
<h4>Ensure Board Independence and Diversity</h4>
It is crucial to have independent voices on the board with diverse perspectives and backgrounds who can provide insights, especially on what’s happening on the ground. It is also essential to have board members who are able to make important introductions and connections, and can provide a sounding board and checks and balances for the founder(s) or CEO.
<h4>Consider Partnership Opportunities</h4>
There are many partnerships opportunities – especially around data usage – for fintechs and FSPs. As mentioned, many FSPs are collecting a lot of data about clients but aren’t effectively using it. Some fintechs have developed a more streamlined and insightful process for utilizing client data that could greatly benefit FSPs. With financial inclusion-focused FSPs and fintechs aiming for the same goals for their clients, it’s important to establish an ecosystem through partnerships to better understand strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to work together.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dm7bWAR9VY&amp;w=560&amp;h=315]

By practicing good governance, FSPs and fintech startups have the opportunity to evolve with the digital world and continue to play an important role for the future of financial inclusion.

<strong>Have you read?</strong>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2017/02/01/are-banks-the-future-of-banking-africa-board-fellows-deliberate/">Are Banks the Future of Banking? Africa Board Fellows Deliberate</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/25/is-weak-governance-to-blame-for-bank-collapses-in-kenya/">Is Weak Governance to Blame for Bank Collapses in Kenya?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2015/07/23/lessons-learned-from-abfs-convening-of-microfinance-leaders-in-cape-town/">Lessons Learned from ABF’s Convening of Microfinance Leaders in Cape Town</a>

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Governing in a Digital World

India is a global leader in financial inclusion. For over a decade, Accion has worked with and learned from India’s innovators, investors, and policymakers to expand economic opportunity for its people and businesses.

<em>This post is adapted from the recently-released publication “</em><a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/Inclusive_Insurance_Final_2018.01.06.pdf"><em>Inclusive Insurance: Closing the Protection Gap for Emerging Customers</em></a><em>,” a joint-report from the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion and the Institute of International Finance, in partnership with MetLife Foundation.</em>

As many know too painfully well, catastrophic events like climate change-related disasters can cause financial stress long after they have occurred. In fact, less than 30 percent of losses from catastrophic events are covered by insurance, which means the remaining 70 percent of the burden is carried by individuals, firms, and the “insurer of last resort,” governments. According to the Insurance Development Forum, a 1 percent increase in insurance penetration could reduce the disaster-recovery burden on taxpayers by 22 percent.

The United Nations member states, in the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, declared that governments have the primary role in reducing disaster risk. Governments can be well-positioned to support the introduction of insurance products to those in rural areas who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Additionally, many observers believe that agricultural insurance requires government subsidies. Governments have a key role to play here, but they shouldn’t have to go it alone. The responsibility of buffering against the effects of disasters should be shared with other stakeholders, including local government and the private sector.

New forms of public-private partnerships can help countries absorb the financial consequences of catastrophic events. Swiss Re partners with governments and multilateral institutions through public-private partnerships that mitigate the effects of natural catastrophes. Paula Pagniez of Swiss Re points out that the key is long-term investment. A number of innovative projects have folded—not because they are unsuccessful, but because donors are not thinking long-term.

In China, the government persuaded hundreds of millions of farmers to use insurance to hedge against the risks of climate change. The government subsidizes the insurance, but at least 20 percent of the premiums come from farmers.

The government of India, after mounting losses due to extreme weather—80 percent of which were uninsured—is mandating insurance to address its highly vulnerable agriculture sector. Its recent scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, launched in 2016, sets premiums for farmers growing specific crops. The government has also required private insurers to set aside 20 percent of policies to cover people in rural areas.

Insurance companies manage their own risk in part by protecting farmers from adverse changes in the climate through activities such as training on how to cope with erratic weather patterns and paying for artificial hail-suppression services.

It is also worth mentioning multi-country risk-pooling initiatives such as the African Risk Capacity partnership, which works with member states of the African Union while drawing on expertise, underwriting, and reinsurance from private companies such as AXA and Willis to help governments respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.

Often, these complex partnerships benefit from external brokering. Cenfri, as an independent policy think tank, has the patience for brokering longer-term relationships and models. The MicroInsurance Centre likewise has deep experience working with commercial insurers, foundations, bi- and multilateral development agencies, regulators, NGOs, and others. The International Finance Corporation has promoted insurance as an element of public-private partnerships to address climate risk and other challenges.

We cannot insure our way out of all the risks of climate change and natural disasters, yet governments and insurers are recognizing the risks and working creatively with a range of partners to mitigate them.

<em>For more on inclusive insurance, read </em><em>“</em><a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/Inclusive_Insurance_Final_2018.01.06.pdf"><em>Inclusive Insurance: Closing the Protection Gap for Emerging Customers</em></a><em>.</em><em>”</em>

<em>Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/44760652@N05/8048402381/">International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center</a></em>

<strong>Have you read?</strong>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2018/01/08/inclusive-insurance-closing-the-protection-gap-for-emerging-customers/">Inclusive Insurance: Closing the Protection Gap for Emerging Customers</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2018/01/18/how-technology-is-propelling-inclusive-insurance/">How Technology Is Propelling Inclusive Insurance</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2018/01/29/inclusive-insurance-its-a-team-effort/">Inclusive Insurance: It's a Team Effort</a>

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The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Reducing Disaster Risk

WeBank started piloting facial recognition for KYC (“know your customer”—verifying that a customer is who they say they are) last year—we heard about it when we talked with Jared Shu, a partner with McKinsey, as part of our <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/documents/IIF_CFI_Report_FINAL.pdf">deep dive about the different ways banks pursue financial inclusion</a>. At that point, the technology was mere possibility, with some question about whether the regulator would allow it. Now, it seems, facial recognition is indeed serving as a form of identity in China. With the help of technology, customers can quite literally authorize a transaction <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/603494/10-breakthrough-technologies-2017-paying-with-your-face/">using their face</a>.

Alipay, a mobile payment app launched by Alibaba in 2004 and used by 120 million people in China, is partnering with Face++ (pronounced “face plus plus”) to allow people to use their face as a credential to make payments. The technology is a natural extension of using a fingerprint to verify a person’s identity, and it is far more secure than just comparing a signature on the back of a credit card to a signature on a receipt.

Software can distinguish between faces far better than humans can. You may have noticed this when you uploaded photos to social media like Facebook and the platform suggested names for the faces in your photos. Face++ uses 83 different points on the human face to verify a person, assigning a measure to the distance between each of the points. It is this combination of distances that verifies identity. The technology’s use cases go beyond the financial system to unlocking doors (literal ones—as in you don’t carry a key any longer), tracking down criminals, or verifying Uber drivers/riders. A scenario is even possible in which a customer walks into a store and receives a personalized experience based on their previous spending—just like Tom Cruise gets to enjoy in “Minority Report.”

While I am slightly disturbed by some of the implications of corporations having a searchable image of my face on their servers, I am optimistic about the possibilities that this technology offers. Open a bank account by holding up your iPad to your face! Split a cab fare by holding a smartphone to your friend’s face! Send money for your niece’s birthday using voice recognition technology even while you’re stuck on the bus! More convenience in my financial services? Yes, please.

However, everything I have read about this technology is just that—a push for convenience to make transactions easier for existing customers. Nowhere am I reading about increasing access to people who aren’t carrying high definition cameras in their pockets or rucksack. The big news should be small microfinance institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo equipping their staff with iPads that will enable them to solve the problem of the majority of the population not having a government-issued id. We should be hearing about some of the problems of de-risking solved by the possibility of a reliable and robust technology that verifies identity through a means that people aren’t likely to lose when their wallet gets stolen.

Why are we not hearing about the application of this technology for low income populations? This is not a rhetorical question—I truly want to know. Is it that the technology is too expensive? Too experimental? Doesn’t fit squarely within regulatory requirements? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below if you have any.

Creative ways of solving the identity problem are exciting and present new possibilities for financial inclusion. I will be anxiously watching this space to see how these new possibilities are translated into creating a more enabling environment to include more low income and vulnerable customers into the financial system.

<strong>Have you read?</strong>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/09/08/the-new-wave-of-partnership-models-between-banks-and-fintech-startups/">The New Wave of Partnership Models Between Banks and Fintech Startups</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2017/01/05/the-news-from-china-can-a-speeding-ticket-hurt-your-credit-score/">The News from China: Can a Speeding Ticket Hurt Your Credit Score?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2015/09/08/new-case-study-provides-evidence-on-the-impact-of-digital-field-applications/">New Case Study Provides Evidence on the Impact of Digital Field Applications</a>

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Sign Here, And Put Your Face Here

[caption id="attachment_23436" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/33301263350/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23436" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/33301263350_ab536c426a_k-1.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a> Alex Silva, Executive Director, Calmeadow[/caption]

Governance is a business imperative, and investors are willing to pay a premium for effective corporate governance. This was one of the key takeaways from the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/investing-in-inclusive-finance/mena-leadership-seminar">Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Governance and Strategic Leadership Seminar</a>, held recently in Amman, Jordan. We’ve seen this stated priority of governance in the MENA microfinance market exhibited elsewhere, too. A joint <a href="http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/703b6a004a7232b29eefdf9c54e94b00/Voices+MF+Sector+in+Arab+World.pdf?MOD=AJPERES">IFC-Sanabel report</a> assessing the top perceived risks facing the microfinance industry in the Arab world uncovered that the market’s stakeholders viewed weak corporate governance structures as one of the more threatening risks out of roughly 30 risk categories. Financial service providers in particular perceive this risk to be rising.



[caption id="attachment_23433" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/33301262930/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23433" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/33301262930_46467c6ac5_o.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="482" /></a> Hany Assaad, Co-Founder and Chief Portfolio and Risk Officer, Avanz Capital[/caption]

This seminar was the first time senior leadership from across the MENA region’s microfinance industry convened to discuss their experiences with governance and strategic leadership. A total of 41 participants from 19 MFIs came together for three days of peer learning and exchanges. The seminar, modelled after CFI’s <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/abf">Africa Board Fellowship</a>, was hosted by CFI, <a href="http://www.calmeadow.com/">Calmeadow</a>, and <a href="http://www.sanabelnetwork.org/home/default.aspx">Sanabel (the Microfinance Network of Arab Countries</a>), with support from the <a href="https://www.fmo.nl/">Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO)</a>. The Arabic Microfinance Gateway was also among the partners to help facilitate the event, and we are thrilled to share the main takeaways in this post.

“As an investor, I look for adding value and reducing risk,” shared Hany Assaad, Co-Founder and Chief Portfolio and Risk Officer at Avanz Capital. “Effective corporate governance increases the value of businesses,” he added.

[caption id="attachment_23438" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/32842329964/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23438" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/32842329964_a25170c838_k.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a> Mohammed Khaled, Senior Microfinance Operations Officer for MENA, IFC[/caption]

Mohammed Khaled, IFC’s Senior Microfinance Operations Officer for MENA, noted that most MFIs in the region are NGOs, and as such have largely volunteer board members, which can contribute to limited effectiveness. The commercial development of the sector in the region has been hindered by the lack, until recently, of legal pathways for transforming NGOs. As laws evolve in the region, MFIs may be allowed to register as non-bank financial institutions, which would change the institutions’ financial structures and create a need for investors and, as such, an increased need for sound corporate governance. Board responsibilities and dynamics are different for investor-owned financial institutions than they are for NGOs, requiring board members to acquire new skills, according to Alex Silva, Executive Director of Calmeadow.

The stakes are getting higher in the region as the overall industry is growing in complexity. Deborah Drake, Vice President, Investing in Inclusive Finance, CFI, spotlighted the changing sector risks as charted by the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/investing-in-inclusive-finance/risk">Banana Skins report series</a> from 2008 to 2016.

The Banana Skins reports are based on the views of sector participants of the most pressing risks and challenges, like new technologies, new market entrants, client repayment capacity, and macro-economic risks. The <a href="https://www.microfinancegateway.org/library/financial-services-all-csfi-banana-skins-survey-risks-financial-inclusion">2016 Banana Skins report</a> pointed to the importance of governance, finding that nine of the top ten risks were “internal” and that institutions without a sound strategy could face marginalization.

[caption id="attachment_23444" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/32842330394/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23444" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/32842330394_de9f46adb4_k.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a> Suha Ennab Tleel, Board Member, Vitas, Jordan[/caption]

Competition from new market entrants in the region, in particular fintech companies, is a prominent concern expressed by participants. According to a <a href="https://www.microfinancegateway.org/library/fintech-mena-unbundling-financial-services-industry">recent report</a>, the number of fintech companies in the region offering financial services has doubled from 46 to 105 in the past three years. Half of these offer payment solutions, and one-third offer lending and financing services. MFIs in the region are now estimated to reach out to <a href="http://www.cgap.org/blog/20-years-financial-inclusion-arab-world">approximately 3 million borrowers</a> with an outstanding portfolio over $2 billion – far below the market potential. Slow growth is due to both internal factors such as slow expansion and the lack of product diversification and external factors including political instability and regulatory barriers. MFIs in the region need to think deeply about the different risks and opportunities in order to adapt to change.

[caption id="attachment_23448" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/33528835012/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23448" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/33528835012_a2d936d0e9_k.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a> Eyad Nino, Deputy General Manager, Microfund for Women[/caption]

Keeping the client at the center is one of the keys for sustainable and responsible growth. <a href="http://www.cgap.org/publications/business-challenges-booklet">Recent research</a> shows that customer centricity not only allows organizations to better serve customers but also solves the common business imperatives of acquisition, retention, and expansion.

When considering commercialization, concerns about drifting away from the social mission grow larger. One way to preserve the social mission is to ensure that management and boards consider both social and financial performance indicators. For example, the Microfund for Women in Jordan created the position of Social Performance Manager and Al Amana in Morocco established a Social Performance Committee that reports to the board.

[caption id="attachment_23440" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/33528835252/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="wp-image-23440" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/33528835252_48d18f34df_k.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a> Jane Giacaman, Director of Microfinance, UNRWA[/caption]

Both the <a href="https://sptf.info/universal-standards-for-spm/start-here">Universal Standards for Social Performance Management</a> and <a href="http://www.smartcampaign.org/certification">Smart Certification</a> also provide guidance on best practices to help financial service providers put clients at the center of all strategic and operational decisions and align their policies and procedures with responsible business practices.

The seminar’s discussions engaged and enriched participants, who returned home with stronger masteries of good governance and leadership. Going one step further, many participants made specific commitments: to form board committees; to provide board training; to recruit more diversified and experienced talent for their boards; to better define risk appetites; to seriously explore technology and adaptations to their business models; to incorporate social performance and client protection practices; and finally to adequately prepare for succession planning. We, the seminar organizers, will be checking in with the participants to see how they are faring, and we hope these are just the first steps of many to further the dynamic microfinance market in the Arab region.

<em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/33644035656/in/album-72157678506203794/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-23431" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/33644035656_186e4ea05f_k.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="410" /></a>The Arabic Microfinance Gateway served as the Outreach Partner for the MENA Governance and Strategic Leadership Seminar. You can learn more about governance and other topics on the Gateway in </em><a href="https://goo.gl/y4gpXz"><em>Arabic</em></a><em>,</em><a href="http://www.microfinancegateway.org/topics/governance"><em> English</em></a><em>, </em><a href="http://www.microfinancegateway.org/fr/sujets/gouvernance"><em>French</em></a><em>, and</em><a href="http://www.microfinancegateway.org/es/temas/gobernabilidad"><em> Spanish</em></a><em>. </em>

<em>And for more photographs from the seminar, the full album is available </em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfi_accion/albums/72157678506203794"><em>here</em></a><em>. </em>

<em>This blog post is also available in Arabic <a href="https://goo.gl/V5s0Mt">here</a>.</em>

<strong>Have you read?</strong>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2014/12/23/governance-challenges-in-mena-microfinance-institutions/">Governance Challenges in MENA Microfinance Institutions</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2013/03/27/are-youth-inclusive-financial-services-in-mena-a-driver-of-financial-inclusion/">Are Youth-Inclusive Financial Services in MENA a Driver of Financial Inclusion?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/07/what-can-we-learn-from-governance-success-stories-in-mena/">What Can We Learn from Governance Success Stories in MENA?</a>