Best Practices for National and Regional Microfinance Networks: The Experience of Latin America and the Caribbean

This paper was commissioned by the  Microcredit Summit Campaign in 2006.The paper presents an overview of microfinance networks in Latin America and the Caribbean and discusses the following features of these networks:

• The 'Framework Cooperation Agreement', through which the national networks established various areas for cooperation, including:
  • Public policies and regulatory framework;
  • Strategic planning and financial programming;
  • Information, data bases and documentation, etc.
• Their coverage of 3,631,552 clients out of which 64% are women.
• Their services that include:
  • Training of personnel;
  • Providing technical assistance;
  • Promoting new information systems, etc.
• Their institutional scope that depends upon:
  • Level of development and size of the network;
  • Level of diversification of services;
  • Institutional management and the perception of microfinance by the industry.
• The 'coordination and pursuit' meetings held amongst the networks.

The paper goes on to describe the vision, mission, objectives, goals and activities of the following microfinance networks:

• The Central American Microfinance Network (REDCAMIF);
• The Rural Financial Network (RFR);
• The Consortium of Private Organizations for the Promotion of the Development of Micro- and Small Enterprise (COPEME).

The paper concludes by assessing the performance of the networks mentioned above in the following areas:

• Regulatory framework and public policies;
• Services offered for membership and self-regulation;
• Strategies for sustainability and impact;
• Strategic alliances.