Overview of the Responsible Microfinance Facility
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) funds the Responsible Microfinance Facility (RMF), which launched operations in January 2015 and is working to build capacity and improve practice in social performance management (SPM) in the Sub-Saharan Africa and Middle East North Africa Regions. The Social Performance Task Force is managing the RMF, in collaboration with the Smart Campaign. One type of funding that the RMF offers is co-financing to financial institutions who would like receive training on a specific area of SPM. See below for a description of this activity.
Overview of the Training
This is a training that will be offered at your institution or in a nearby training facility, according to your preference. Your institution will select which of its employees may attend, and you may also wish to invite members of your board of directors. Please note that RMF recommends a maximum of 25 people in the room to allow for in-depth interaction and discussion among all training participants.
The subject of the training will be selected by your institution, according to your institution's priorities, as well as your assessment of the areas of social performance management in which your institution's practices are not as strong as you would like them to be. To review the comprehensive list of management practices that constitute "social performance management," please consult the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management.
Your institution may select the technical assistance provider that will deliver the training. To inform your decision, you may consult the database of technical assistance providers maintained by SPTF, as well the list of Smart Campaign-approved TA Providers (for the list, email comments@smartcampaign.org). You may also contact CERISE for a list of qualified SPI4 auditors by emailing spi4@cerise-microfinance.org. If you would like to choose someone who is in none of these databases, you may do so, subject to the approval of the RMF. The application form below lists what documentation you will have to submit related to your choice of trainer.
Eligibility
All financial institutions are welcome to apply.
Duration of Training
This can be a one-, two-, or three-day training depending on which area(s) of SPM you would like to address.
Cost
The exact cost of the training will vary depending on which trainer you select, the cost of the venue where the training will be held, the number of training participants, and the number of days of the training. Once you decide these things and develop an estimated budget for the training, you will submit that budget to the RMF along with this application. The RMF will co-finance 50% of this cost, up to a maximum of a US$6000 grant from the RMF. Your institution will be responsible for the other 50% of the cost.
RMF Procedure to Disperse Co-Financing Grant
The RMF will not disburse the co-financing grant to an institution on the date when its application is approved. Instead, it will wait until the institution begins paying for, or using in-kind contribution to implement, its 50% share of the cost. This is to avoid problems that might occur if the RMF contributes 50% but the financial institution is ultimately not able to contribute its 50% share of the cost. Additionally, RMF will pay third-party vendors directly. This means that a portion, or all, of the co-financing may be paid directly to a third party instead of deposited in the account of the institution. In cases where it is not possible for the RMF to pay third-party vendors directly, the institution may pay those vendors directly and then submit receipts to the RMF for reimbursement.
Language
The reporting you do to the RMF on the results of your project must occur in English or French. This application form will ask you for your preferred language. TA providers are able to conduct trainings in a wide variety of languages, however.
Date of the Training
To be determined. The questions below in this application form ask you for your preferred dates for the training, and also ask you to describe any time constraints you have. The RMF will review applications and do its best to make grants at a time that fits your schedule.
Deadline to Submit Application
None. RMF accepts applications on a rolling basis.