Client Assessment Lessons Learned

This progress note summarizes the lessons learned in client assessment by the 17 microfinance institutions (MFIs) that participated in the Client Assessment Working Group/Imp-Act research project. The most important lessons suggest:

• Provide field staff adequate training in all aspects of Client Assessment (CA);
• Establish clear goals for CA and link them to organizational mission and strategic objectives;
• Explain the purpose of CA clearly to stakeholders, involve stakeholders in CA planning and implementation, and demonstrate CA's usefulness to stakeholders to get buy-in as stakeholder buy-in is critical for CA success;
• Budget for significant time and effort to develop CA systems;
• Create a separate research unit or assign specific staff members to conduct CA.

The note concludes that the experiences of the 17 MFIs show that:

• There is much to learn about client assessment;
• It is possible to learn and progress in client assessment - each of the 17 participant MFIs was able to move up the client assessment learning curve over the course of the project to the point where many of them today have made significant strides not only in implementing, but also in institutionalizing client assessment.