SmartAid Index 2014 – Technical Guide

This technical guide describes the methodology of the SmartAid Index (SmartAid) and explains how to use it. The SmartAid measures whether funders are set up to support financial inclusion effectively. It assesses a funder’s internal systems and practices related to its financial inclusion projects. It also shows how funders progress over time and how their performance compares to others. The guide covers following sections in detail:

• Overview of the index with a focus on its origin and need;
• What SmartAid offers to funders with a focus on the main benefits of using the index like help in identifying best practices, capacity to spur internal dialogue, and its use a tool that enables comparison of funders’ performance with their peers;
• Methodology adopted by CGAP to develop the index and a discussion of the key indicators used in the index;
• Three options to use the index: SmartAid Index self-assessment, SmartAid index accompanied self-assessment, and SmartAid Index validated assessment;
• Step-by-step process flow involved in implementing SmartAid;
• Explanation of the rationale and relevance of the nine indicators involved in SmartAid.