This document comprises an assessment report of the “Research and Capacity Building for Product Development in Microfinance Project” – the result of a partnership between the ‘Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation’ (ICCO), Netherlands, and ‘Microfinance Council of the Philippines’ (MCPI).
The report identifies the:
* Project aim: to strengthen the capacity of microfinance institutions (MFIs) to design and develop new and improved financial products for poor clients.
* Project components:
o Compiling and documenting of successful innovative microfinance products,
o Developing MFI capacity to undertake market research,
o Developing, testing and launching new microfinance products.
The report states that:
* The project is successful and has achieved its objectives,
* Component ‘A’ has produced studies and documentation of the product development process for each type of MFI,
* Component ‘B’ has reached 44 MFIs with training courses on market research,
* Component ‘C’ has led to the development of new products and increased the knowledge and skills of the MFIs’ staff.
The report concludes with recommendations for:
* The extension of technical assistance (TA) until the completion of the product development process,
* The documentation of MFI experiences on receiving TA on product development,
* Review of the selection criteria for participation in the training courses,
* Continuing of the “Market Research for Microfinance” course after project completion,
* Consideration of providing follow-up training on other tools.
