WEDP based its Technical Assistance (TA) for enhancing Savings Mobilization on interviews with head office managers,

workshops with branch level staff, and focus group interviews. Based on this input, as indicated in the TA Intervention in the
following table, the WEDP team advised the MFI partners on methods to increase Voluntary Savings (VS) levels. The table also
demonstrates the Before general status of the MFI partners and the After adopted behaviors and impact of the TA.
BEFORE
TA INTERVENTION
AFTER
Reliance on commercial and
Training and sensitization among head
Management now considers saving
concessionary financing to access
office management at all WEDP MFIs
mobilization as a primary source of loan
loanable funds by MFI management
regarding self-financing of loan portfolio fund.
and board.
through Voluntary Savings (VS)
mobilization. Training also given to
board members at 2 WEDP MFIs to
facilitate board level decisions regarding
investment in VS mobilization.
Passive head office approach to deposit Recommended recruitment of Savings
Savings Manager now present at 8 of
mobilization. Lack of coordination and
Manager to 6 WEDP MFIs, including
12 WEDP MFIs and recruitment in
accountability between head office and provision of Savings Manager Job
process at other 4. Improved
frontline regarding VS mobilization.
Description. Additional mentoring of
coordination of saving mobilization
Savings Manager at 6 WEDP MFIs,
efforts between branches and head
improving their capacity to coordinate
office.
and drive growth of VS portfolio.
Little promotion done at branch level
Re-orientation of marketing focus for
Active promotion being done to attract
with regard to growing the savings
Voluntary Savings away from loan
net savers at the branch and head office
business. Any existing VS customers
clients towards net savers at all WEDP
level. New marketing materials for VS
are loan clientswith MFI relying on
MFIs. Provision of competitive
promotion have been designed, printed
walk in business for VS.
advantage analysis, marketing plan and and distributed by 3 WEDP MFIs and
tools for attracting net savers to 10
are in process at 2 more.
WEDP MFIs.
Frontline MFI staff lacks incentive for
Recommended that performance
Re-prioritization of staff activity with
mobilizing deposits at branch level.
evaluation systems for salary increment increased weight and significance given
With little weight given to savings in
and promotion to give significant point
to VS mobilization in performance
performance evaluation systems, staff
to voluntary saving mobilization effort by evaluation of frontline staff at 4 WEDP
does not prioritize client outreach for
field officer at 10 WEDP MFIs.
MFIs and in process at 2 more.
savings among activities.
Low capacity for marketing savings
Provision of training and tools at 30 pilot Marketing plan and standardized sales
among frontline staff and little
branches for 9 WEDP MFIs to increase message put in place in 6 WEDP MFIs
awareness in community of VS services staffs capacity for promoting savings
and being practiced by field officers in
and products offered by MFIs.
out in the community. Mentoring of MFI role play rehearsal sessions. 2 WEDP
management at 8 WEDP MFIs in how to MFIs have also designated their pilot
use training tools provided at frontline.
branches as model saving branches for
Recommendation given for field officers other staff to visit and learn.
to rehearse the sales message in
frequent role play sessions.
Limited reporting on VS portfolio
Train the MFIs on regular reports
Template for savings reporting adopted
performance by product from branch to regarding VS mobilization are used as
at 2 WEDP MFIs and in process at 3
head office. As such, MFIs are not able management tool for evaluating VS
others.
to track performance of savings portfolio product performance.
and individual products.
Limited accessibility and
Advised on how the MFI could provide
Increased opening hours at 2 WEDP
competitiveness of opening hours for
better customer service by setting
MFIs to compete with commercial banks
VS clients.
opening hours based on the needs of
and in process at 3 others.
their clients
Limited or inappropriate VS product
Technical advice regarding VS product
Refinements have been implemented at
offering at 6 WEDP MFIs resulted in
refinements suggested at 6 WEDP
2 WEDP MFIs and in process at 2
poor product uptake.
MFIs.
more.