BottomLine-In Pursuit of Excellence- January 2011

IN THIS ISSUE
- India
- Asia
- Africa
- Trainings, Events, Publications

The "Andhra Pradesh crisis" looks set to affect microfinance throughout India, and potentially even elsewhere in the world. Some of the underling themes, as well as some detailed analysis of the causes and implications of the crisis, are analysed in this Newsletter. It includes:

1. Five India Focus Notes that examine the build-up to the crisis, what is likely to happen next and what the MFIs, and indeed, the government should do about it;
2. A piece highlighting MicroSave's growing body of work on social performance management, as well as on comprehensive risk management - more attention to both of which might have averted much of the crisis;
3. Details of extensive research programmes on remittances, no frills savings accounts and cost & willingness to pay for financial services;
4. Details of MicroSave's extensive and ever-growing work on mobile money, which we believe to be the future basis on which true, market-led, multi-product financial inclusion can occur. Part of this is a series of outstanding video podcasts on mobile money from some of the team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which I encourage everyone who is serious about the future of financial services for the poor to watch;
5. Details of a wide range of training programmes conducted and to come ; and
6. ... much, much more.

• Dormancy in No Frills Account (NFA) Research
• Cost and Willingness Study
• Transition of SPM IP from Unitus to MicroSave India
  
• GTZ-NABARD, Remittance Corridor Study
• Creating a Sustainable Business Correspondent Model with ICICI Bank
  

• Value Chain Mapping, Sierra Leone
• Improve Savings Options for the Under-banked through M-Banking for Large South African Bank
• Process Mapping at Opportunity International Bank, Malawi
  

• Announcements
• Trainings
• Microfinance Podcasts
• Knowledge Productions