Microfinance Workshop Report for USAID/Zambia and Credit Management Services (CMS)

This report presents the details of a workshop that was held to meet the general needs of the managers at Credit Management Services (CMS) for general background in programming. Following are the details of the workshop:

• Aim: to familiarize CMS managers with the elements of appropriate and sustainable program design, and enable them to identify necessary changes to their program;
• Training material: a program design tool called a "Program Design Framework";
• Discussions:
  • The participants discussed clients, environment, interventions, methodology, impact, efficiency and sustainability,
  • They reviewed each topic, and explored interconnecting relationships in order to understand the key concepts of microcredit programs.

The report then describes:

• The "Program Design Framework", which includes an analysis of the situation, the clients and their business activities;
• The program, including interventions and possible amendments to existing CMS policies;
• Various methodologies, their similarities and differences, focusing on the differences between individual and peer lending and suggestions for changes to CMS' methodologies;
• The impact of the program at various levels - the household, the local economy and the payment scale.

The report concludes with a discussion of efficiency and sustainability, highlighting the importance of staff productivity and customer service.