Social Performance: Recommended Reading
1. The Universal Standards Implementation Guide
Mar 2016, Social Performance Task Force (SPTF)
The Universal Standards Implementation Guide offers comprehensive guidance to financial institutions on how to implement the practices found in the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management.
2. Beyond Good Intentions: Measuring Impact Investment and Social Performance in Microfinance
Jun 2014, MIX
This article by MIX investigates correlations between impact investments and various types of MFI performance indicators by comparing data from 658 microfinance institutions reporting social performance, financial performance, and funding liability information.
3. SPTF Guidance Note: Convincing the Skeptic
Sep 2015, Social Performance Task Force (SPTF)
For FSPs of every shape and size, SPM implementation means change. Changes to policies, changes to procedures, changes to organizational strategy. A smooth change management process means having everyone on board: from your investors to your front-line staff – and even sometimes your national regulator. Where you meet resistance to your SPM work, it’s useful to have a plan to convince your skeptics of the value of SPM. Where you meet resistance to your SPM work, it’s useful to have a plan to convince your skeptics of the value of SPM. For more on the financial benefits and trade-offs of SPM, read the MIX publication Where Good Intentions Meet Good Business Practice.
4. From Mission to Action: Management Series for Microfinance Institution (Strategic Management Toolkit Handbook)
Jan 2007, Microfinance Centre (MFC)
This handbook helps MFIs to professionalize their strategic management processes in order to improve their double bottom line. Developed by the Microfinance Center (MFC) the handbook uses an adaptation of the balanced scorecard (BSC), a performance measurement tool originally developed by the Harvard Business School for commercial companies.
5. Measuring Changes in Client Lives through Microfinance
May 2011, CGAP
This CGAP Brief looks at the monitoring and assessment tools the microfinance industry uses to measure elements of social performance such as client poverty levels.
6. MicroSave Toolkit: Market Research for Microfinance
Jan 2004, MicroSave
This toolkit provides Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) tools, including: wealth ranking tools; seasonality, life cycle, and time series tools; and several original PRA tools developed to understand the financial service use, options, and opportunities within communities, including tools for assessing the gender issues and household control of resources. It also offers examples of analysis matrices to help organize and process information generated by each tool.
7. MIMOSA Microfinance Index of Market Outreach and Saturation
Mar 2013, Planet Rating
This paper published by Planet Rating analyzes credit market capacity using the Global Findex dataset, a survey on the use of financial services in 148 countries.