Using Social Performance Information for Internal Managment and External Reporting

Publication Date: 23 Nov 2004
Published by: Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network
Document Type: Presentation

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How can social performance be assessed and managed?

This presentation discusses the methods by which the social performance of an institution can be assessed and managed. It defines social performance as “the effectiveness of an institution in translating its social goals into practice”.

The presentation argues that goals of social performance:

• Serve increasing numbers of poor people;
• Improve the quality and appropriateness of financial services available to poor people;
• Better the lives of poor clients and their families;
• Widen the range of opportunities for communities.

The author states that the levels of social performance can be measured by:

• Intention and design, which include clear social objectives, systems and services and delivery mechanisms;
• Outputs, which include the breadth and depth of outreach as well as the quality and appropriateness of services;
• Impacts, which include change in client status and community wide impact.

The presentation concludes by listing the following issues that a microfinance institution should probe into:

• What is its social performance goal?
• How to monitor who uses and who is excluded from using its services?
• How to monitor and assess:
  • The effects on current clients?
  • The reasons why some clients leave?