CGAP Annual Report 2001

2001 Highlights

• As of this year, CGAP’s Skills for Microfinance Managers series of seven courses and accompanying training of trainers is being delivered in 40 countries and six languages, through 14 local sustainable training institutions, with 74 CGAP-certified trainers.
• In 1999, CGAP and USAID made a joint investment in the BRI International Visitor’s Program designed to disseminate lessons learned by BRI to practitioners all over the world. During this year, IVP offered 12 courses to international visitors, explored new ways to attract clients, and is on track to become sustainable after two or three years.
• In 2001, most technical advice occurred in the context of eight institutional appraisals— mainly of poverty-focused microfinance organizations—for grant funding.
• CGAP is helping Funding the Poor Cooperative (FPC), China, develop an operations manual to standardize branch procedures and controls.
• In October 2000, CGAP appraised Kashf and piloted the new CGAP Poverty Audit. CGAP is also working with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), a World Bank funded apex institution for microfinance and other activities, to streamline its procedures and pursue a joint investment in Kashf with CGAP.
• Pro-Poor Innovation Challenge III: CGAP received 130 applications for this round and five awards were made.
• The CGAP Secretariat developed a web-based Global Donor Portfolio Database as a tool to promote donor coordination and communication.
• The Microfinance Gateway is designed to be an unbiased, open platform for the microfinance industry to share ideas and resources. Since its launch in June 2000, it has increased from 4,000 visits per month in its first month to over 10,000 visitors per month (over 230,000 hits per month).