SmartAid 2011

August 4, 2010    

The SmartAid for Microfinance Index measures whether development organizations have the right systems in place to support microfinance effectively. Organizations that seek to better understand how internal management systems, processes, and incentives affect their work in microfinance are encouraged to participate. By joining SmartAid, funders demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability and learn how they stand compared to their peers.

The SmartAid for Microfinance Index is offered every two years. With two rounds already completed (pilot round in 2007 and the 2009 round), SmartAid 2011 is the third round of the Index. Six funders participated in SmartAid 2011 - AusAID, EIB, GIZ, KfW, MIF and UNCDF - increasing the total number of funders participating in the SmartAid Index to 18. Four of these institutions (GIZ, KfW, MIF and UNCDF) have already participated in previous rounds of SmartAid; AusAID and EIB have joined SmartAid for the first time.

All participating funders receive a report that describes their strengths and weaknesses along the nine SmartAid indicators and presents suggestions for improvement. Participants are encouraged to share their reports publicly, but it is not mandatory.

The nine indicators used in the SmartAid Index were selected and refined over the course of a pilot round in 2007, an external evaluation, consultation with experts and the first round of the Index in 2009. For the 2011 round two of the indicators were further refined to remove redundancy, however the indicators remain consistent in nature and scores are comparable across the 2009 and 2011 rounds. The scores of the 2007 pilot round are not comparable. The maximum score that can be reached is 100 points.

For more information please contact the SmartAid Team.