Early and Broad Sectoral Interventions for Rapid Microfinance Development: Evidence from West Africa

This report explores methods for building robust microfinance sectors in post-conflict environments.Many donors and practitioners have advocated narrow and conservative approaches of sector development in the past. This paper, however, recommends earlier and broader interventions that have the potential to reinforce best practice initiatives. It highlights the weaknesses of past approaches and the promise of more recent and improved practices, with examples from Sierra Leone and Liberia, two countries emerging from conflict.The report states that a broader approach to sustainable microfinance development will help to move countries devastated by conflict one step further along the road to economic recovery. It lists the following lessons for microfinance sector development in post-conflict environments:

• Start early;
• Intervene broadly;
• Encourage collaboration among stakeholders;
• Utilize microfinance expertise;
• Fund microfinance appropriately.