| Frankfurt School

Thematic Area:	HR Management & Development
Duration:	2015 – 2019
Client:	Appui au Développement Autonome (ADA) and Lao Microfinance Association (MFA)
Region:	Asia
Country Coverage:	Lao PDR

Project Overview

The microfinance sector in Lao PDR is relatively young and capacity building support services for the sector is limited. The Bank of Laos (BoL) will soon require new microfinance institutions (MFIs) to obtain a certificate through the Microfinance Management Certificate Course (MFMCC), anchored within the Lao Microfinance Association (Lao MFA).

The Project aims to strengthen the capacities of managers in licensed MFIs in Lao PDR as well as increase the pool of trained and competent microfinance sector professionals. Thus, the Project supports Lao MFA to establish a comprehensive education and certification system for MFI Managers through a tailor-made training programme. In addition, the Project includes the design of a comprehensive certification system to build a pool of local trainers for Lao MFA.

Frankfurt School experts developed a continuous and long-term training programme for Managers of Lao MFIs. The training programme consists of 8 training modules and lasts 28 training days, and includes the following modules:

Basics of microfinance;
Business and strategic planning;
Human resource management and leadership skills;
Credit and delinquency management;
Management of an MFI and governance;
Financial and social performance management, accounting, MIS;
Product development; and,
Compliance with regulatory requirements and internal control.

Additionally, Frankfurt School experts developed a comprehensive programme to educate and certify local trainers attached to Lao MFA. The programme includes a comprehensive classroom training (based on the 8 modules), a supervision plan during the first practicing phase, personal coaching and a final exam.

During the course of the Project, Frankfurt School certified 16 trainers and 8 co-trainers. The successful development of the training material and certification of trainers enabled Lao MFA to already implement the 17^th round (batch) of MFCC courses, which has become a continuous activity to support the capacity building of the microfinance sector in Lao PDR.