Paper

Beyond Codes: The Foundation for Client Protection in Microfinance

Examining practical cases of how consumer protection codes of conduct are implemented

"Beyond Codes," an action research project of the Center for Financial Inclusion at ACCION, was designed to provide a body of experience and knowledge from leading financial institutions serving low-income people about how consumer protection codes of conduct are implemented. The two-year project started in mid-2008 and ended in June 2010. The project aimed to develop the tools and experience that could inform the subsequent work in client protection by grounding it in practices of financial institutions.

Twelve financial institutions (FIs) participated in the project. FIs were of various ages, from less than three to more than ten years. The institutions included banks, non-deposit finance companies, NGOs, and credit unions. Some were large operations with close to one million clients, while others were medium-sized and even small with fewer than 10,000 customers. The countries represented in the research were: Bosnia, India, Kenya, Mexico, and the Philippines. All the FIs engaged in lending including a range of loan products using various methodologies. More than half also offered savings, transaction accounts, and insurance.