BRS and ADA strengthen capacities in Ecuador
BRS and ADA made a visit to Ucaccentro and Refich, two micro finance providers supported by Trias in Ecuador. The aim of the visit was to strengthen these two organisations.
© May Servaes
In Ecuador, Trias cooperates with two partner organizations that offer microfinancial services: the Association of Credit Unions of the Central Highlands of Ecuador (UCACCENTRO) and the Network of Financial Structures of Chimborazo in Ecuador (REFICH). Trias also cooperates with other organizations related to financial services in Peru.
From the 25th until the 29th April of 2011, the training event “Study of the Financial performance indicators for Microfinance Organizations” took place. This was on the initiative of Trias, BRS and Ada through its advisors, respectively, Kurt Van Den Neste and Paul Surreaux with help from the international consultant Manuel Salgado.
The subject focused on the policy improvement of the Cooperatives, the Credit Unions, the Financial Organizations and the Groups of the Cooperative sector.
During the first two days visits were made to the offices and target areas of the Cooperatives and the Central Unions with the purpose to not only analyze its financial policy, but mainly to study the social generated impact through the orientation of the financial services to the rural sector. This was analyzed like a strategy to strengthen the study in the course development.
The 27th, 28th and 29th of April, 26 people attended the workshop during which the “performance indicators” within the IMFs were analyzed. This was done by using practical examples coming from each of the participating institutions. The 26 participants consisted of managers, executives and administrative personnel who represented 14 Central Unions, 2 Consortia of Cooperatives, 2 Second-tier Financiers, 1 Foundation and 1 internal employee of Trias in the Andes region. To that end, the tool “Factsheet” was used, which is a program that provides the calculation, the graphical presentation and analysis of the situation of one micro finance institution (MFI) and the attention to the sensitive aspects.
At the end of the event, the participants have expressed that there are additional elements to incorporate in the regular analysis of its MFIs since other topics have been included that until that moment haven’t been taken into account for the decision making. The MFIs basically work with six indicators. During the event, 16 indicators have been analyzed, which involves complementary indicators to consider in order to improve the policy related to the Financial activity.
John Bliek, consultant of the Microfinance in Brussels supported the whole process of information with the IMFs and also offered support during the event.