Social Performance Indicators Initiative Phase 2 - Audit of the Social Performance of Microfinance Institutions: The Definition of a Tool

This operational guide is designed as a companion manual to help MFIs and external reviewers complete the Social Performance Indicators (SPI) questionnaire. It aims to aid understanding of the meaning of the indicators used in the questionnaire and the hypothesis behind the questions, so that differences between self-evaluation and external review can be reduced.The guide states that measuring social performance (SP) of MFIs requires a careful understanding of the concepts and indicators used. The SPI tool from CERISE tool focuses on performance monitoring and social assessment. The SPI-2 questionnaire evaluates the social performance of the MFI according to its social mission and objectives. The guide includes two modules:

• Module 1 offers a general framework for understanding the concept of SP, reasons why it is important to assess SP, and the objectives and design of the SPI questionnaire;
• Module 2 presents all the elements of the SPI questionnaire, explains the rationale behind each question, and eases the process of filling out the questionnaire.