Social Performance Management

In this section: Planning Monitoring & Assessment Insitutionalization Sharing and Learning Case Studies Coming Soon...

Social performance is about making an organization's social mission a reality. It is generally driven by three concerns: managing for results, understanding client needs, and reporting to external stakeholders. A social performance management system involves 1) setting clear social goals and objectives, 2) collecting information to monitor progress towards these objectives and 3) using social performance information to improve operational and strategic decision-making. Where appropriate, internally-generated social performance information can be reported to external stakeholders.

To create and maintain an effective system, an MFI must:

• Develop a social performance strategy at the planning stage
  
  
• Ensure that the system is effective at monitoring and assessing social performance
  
  
• Use social performance data to spur real management and operational improvements
  
  
• Share best practices with the larger microfinance community and learn about others’ social performance experiences.

Key Guidelines for Social Performance Management The key reference in social performance management is the global action-research Imp-Act Programme, which has worked with more than 30 organizations across the world to develop an overarching framework that promotes social performance management (SPM) as a core business function. The framework combines regular monitoring of client status, analysis and communication of findings, and corresponding adjustments to products or service delivery that will improve the MFI’s program. The Imp-Act approach helps MFIs develop a system through step-by-step guidance, including 6 key questions that an MFI must initially think about before implementing an SPM system. The Guidelines, as well as detailed material on managerial tools and training, can be found on the Imp-Act website.