A newly designed customized training course was organised at Melandaha, Jamalpur during 15 – 18 February 2021 for 10 (Ten) Branch Managers of DBP (Daridro Bimochon Prokolpo), United Trust, the social welfare organ of the United Group, a renowned private sector conglomerate. Since the
outbreak of COVID pandemic, this was the first classroom customised training imparted by InM training team outside Dhaka.
The course titled ‘Induction Training on Interest-free Microfinance Operations and Management’ encompasses the broad areas like Interest-free Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation; Appropriate Enterprise Selection, Loan Proposal Assessment and Disbursement Process; Effective Monitoring of Microfinance Operations at Field Level; Key Performance Indicator (KP) Analysis, Branch Operational Plan and the Reporting Procedures.
A specialised online ‘Advanced Training on ‘Internal Audit and Monitoring of Microfinance Operations and Management’ for internal auditors, audit
officers and regional managers of SETU was organised by InM during 23-24 December 2020. A total of 20 participants attended the online course. Mr. M A Quader, Executive Director of SETU attended the inaugural and closing ceremonies and emphasised on the need for capacity building as a continuous activity. The course contents covered, among others, topics such as issues on internal audit, monitoring and supervision in the context of Covid-19; financial statement and KPI analysis; auditor’s role in risk management and reporting; MIS and budget variance analysis; and monitoring and supervision strategies for MFIs.
An ‘Online Advanced Training on Handling the Post COVID Challenges in Micro-Enterprise Management’ was designed and implemented by InM during 29-30 November 2020. A total of 20 Town Managers of LIUPCP/UNDP participated in the training programme from City Corporations/Pourashavas. Dr. M. Sadeque, Director InM Training Division was the course coordinator, which covered several areas, including:
The Town Managers expressed their eagerness to implement similar trainings for the field level staff of LIUPCP/UNDP.
To cope up with the setback concerning realisation and disbursement due to Covid-19 pandemic coupled with the devastating flood in July 2020, InM in collaboration with PADAKHEP, designed and conducted a course on ‘Advanced Risk Management and Monitoring in Microfinance Operations to address Covid-19 at the Field Level” during 7 and 14 November 2020. A total of 25 Branch Managers of PADAKHEP joined this training on risk management and monitoring aspects of microfinance operations with special focus on COVID 19 pandemic.
This online training to identify the challenges and suggest practical options for developing required skills of MFIs’ operational staff on ‘Building Skills of Managers on Post Covid Microfinance Operations and Management’ on 21 November 2020 was attended by 20 participants of SETU from Kushtia.
In view of the Covid-19 pandemic and to address post Covid-19 challenges for the microfinance sector, several online training programmes have been designed by the InM Training Division. The design of these programmes is based on feedback received through informal discussions with both regional (e.g. CSD of Nepal and ASHI of Philippines) and domestic microfinance institutions (e.g. SETU, PADAKHEP, RIC, DSK, SOJAG etc.).
During execution, the courses will be tailor made based on the specific organisational need and existing realities especially related to Covid-19 challenges.
Course contents
Unit 1: Likely State of Global Microfinance: Post Covid-19 Scenario
Unit 2: Designing Appropriate Financial Products to Address Post Covid-19 Challenges
Unit 3: Methodology for Microfinance Service Delivery in the Post Covid-19 World
Unit 4: Post Covid-19 Delinquency Challenges and Management Techniques
Unit 5: NPL (Non-performing Loan) Recovery Management during the Post Covid-19 Period
Unit 6: Achieving Financial Sustainability in the Post Covid-19 Situation
Unit 7: Business Plan Preparation for Microfinance Programmes in the Post Covid-19 World
Unit 8: Approach to Risks in Microfinance and Control Mechanisms in the Post Covid-19 Situation
Unit 9: Monitoring of Microfinance Programmes in the Post Covid-19 World
Course contents
Unit 1: Global Efforts in Preventing Financial Crimes
Unit 2: Financial Crimes and Malpractices in General Banking
Unit 3: Financial Crimes and Malpractices in Advances
Unit 4: Financial Crimes and Malpractices in International Banking
Unit 5: Compliance, Governance and Risks
Unit 6: Investigation and Prosecution
Due to Covid-19 pandemic and several rounds of seasonal floods in the country, the NGO-MFIs are facing unprecedented challenges in conducting 
their regular operations. The MFI staffs, especially the operational staff at the filed level, need specialised training to overcome the challenges and ensure sustainability of microfinance operations.
This online training programme aims to identify the challenges and suggests practical options for developing required skills of MFIs’ operational staff, especially of the branch/regional managers on ‘Post Covid-19 Microfinance Operations and Management’. In the first online course conducted in July 2020, a total of 20 participants (mostly regional managers) of SETU from Kushtia joined the training course.
A new training course for branch managers titled ‘Interest-free Microfinance Operations and Financial Management of DBP’ was designed and conducted for the United Trust, the social welfare organ of the United Group, a renowned private sector conglomerate. The training course was organised at the United Trust Office, Melandaha in Jamalpur. The course mainly focused on operational and financial procedures of interest-free microfinance.
Under the MoU signed between InM and LIUPCP (Livelihoods Improvement of Urban Poor Communities Project)/UNDP, a training programme on ‘Entrepreneurship Development and Gender’ was organised for a total of 19 socio-economic and nutrition officers/experts from eight municipalities and 11 city corporations of the country.
Recently, an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) has been signed between InM and United Trust (UT), the social welfare wing of the United Group, a renowned conglomerate of the country’s business sector, for imparting training for UT’s interest free microfinance programme staff, conducting impact studies of their poverty alleviation project and certificate courses for employment creation. During the MoU signing ceremony, among others, Brig Gen A J M Fazlur Rahman, ndc, psc, Executive Director, United Trust, Mr. Abul Kalam Azad, General Manager, United Trust; Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Executive Director, InM were present. Under the MoU, different training programmes will be organised for the DBP (Daridro Bimochon Prokolpo) staff to strengthen interest free microcredit programme of United Trust.
A tailor-made course was designed and implemented for the senior managers of Resource Integration Centre (RIC) at the InM Training Centre. The training, titled ‘Advanced Risk Management and Monitoring in Microfinance Operations at Field Level’, focused on risk management at the field level using the early signaling techniques and other methods to avert losses due to delinquency. A total of 16 Senior Microfinance Operations Managers of RIC joined the course.
A specialised workshop, titled “Result Based Monitoring (RBM) for Microfinance Programme of DSK: Let the Figures Talk” was 
designed and organised for the professionals of Dushtha Shasthya Kendra (DSK) at InM Training Centre on 5 August 2019. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Executive Director, InM. Dr. Dibalok Singha, MD, Executive Director, DSK, was present as special guest on the occasion. Among others, Mr. Shabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, Director, Education Division, InM and Dr. Md. Mosleh Uddin Sadeque, Director, Training Division, InM and moderator of the workshop were also present in the inaugural session. The main theme of the workshop was to identify and select the key indicators towards developing an RBM framework for DSK’s microfinance programme. This specially designed RBM added a new dimension to the existing monitoring framework of DSK.
A meeting was organised on 5 May 2019 at United Trust Headquarters in Dhaka between InM and United Trust (UT) for capacity 
building of DBP (Daridro Bimochon Prokolpo) staff members of Microcredit Scheme of UT, such that the organisation can become more productive and effective. Brig Gen A J M Fazlur Rahman, ndc, psc, Executive Director, UT, chaired the meeting. Among others, Mr. Abul Kalam Azad, General Manager, UT, Dr. Md. Mosleh Uddin Sadeque, Director, Training Division, InM, Mr. Md. Abdul Hye Mridha, Senior Deputy Director, InM were present in the meeting. Later, InM Training Team visited the Interest Free Microfinance Programme of UT field office at Melandah, Jamalpur and conducted TNA for the DBP staff. It is hoped that based on the TNA, different training programmes will be arranged for the DBP staff to strengthen UT’s interest free microcredit programme.
InM organised an international course on the above to address the prudent risk management initiatives and efficiency of microfinance field operations practiced in the microfinance sector of Bangladesh. Senior professionals of Nepal and the Philippines microfinance organizations and a cooperative joined the training course. This five-day course was designed to help MFIs to develop and improve the quality of their own risk management processes. The main focus was on problem prevention, early detection, and control. The course followed a combination of case studies, practical exercises and current affairs to bring material to life vis-à-vis covered the advanced risk management in a dynamic and interactive learning environment. Participants also visited Grameen Bank and the Sojag- NGO-MFI , their field and head offices, PKSF and InM headquarters to learn hands-on experiences. Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Executive Director, InM inaugurated the training programme and Dr.Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad , Chairman, InM distributed the certificates to the participants in the closing ceremony. Dr.Sadeque, Director, InM , was the course coordinator of this international course. It is hoped that the participants could clearly identify how advanced risk management can benefit the MFIs to ensure sustainable growth in the years to come.
The international training course titled “Advanced Microfinance Operations” was organised at InM Training Centre during 30 March - 4 April 2019 jointly with Banking Finance and Insurance Institute of Nepal Limited (BFIN), Nepal. A total of 11 participants attended the course. This six-day training aimed at providing a detailed understanding of risks in microfinance programme operations and management through experience sharing and visit to BRAC, Grameen Bank, PKSF etc. This will help the Nepali practitioners replicate the hard learning in their respective organisations. The training sessions were facilitated by experienced resource persons of repute at home and abroad.
During the quarter, 10 batches of training on accounts & financial management, loan management of microenterprises, training of trainers (ToT), and ToT on SEP (sustainable enterprise project) policies and safeguard documents were organised by InM at the InM Training Centre jointly with PKSF for Partner Organisations’ staff members. A total of 220 professionals received training in the above mentioned areas.
During 20 – 23 January 2019 the course titled “Accounts & Financial Management” was organised at InM Training Center jointly with PKSF for the Branch level Accounts Officers of PKSF Partner Organizations. A total of 23 participants attended the course. This four-day training aims at providing a framework of accounts and financial management to the microfinance practitioners so that they can understand, prepare and interpret financial statements methodically. The training sessions were facilitated by experienced resource persons mainly from InM and PKSF.
InM and PKSF jointly arranged the training programme on “Loan Management of Microenterprise” to further strengthen the microfinance sector through employment creation vis-à-vis financial sustainability of the MFIs. This four-day training aims at providing a framework of microenterprise operations and management related issues so that the practitioners understand the programme to a broader aspect and take effective decision at their organisational level while financing the enterprises. During 21 – 24 January 2019, InM organised this training courses where 23 participants, mostly programme coordinators, Area Managers, Branch Managers selected by PKSF attended the course. The training sessions were facilitated by the resource persons from InM and PKSF.
InM has imparted a ToT (Training of Trainers) course jointly with PKSF that has been designed to enhance the trainer’s capabilities necessary for effective training design and delivery methods. It also aims at giving concept on training process, critical factors that contributes to a successful management of a training programme, adult learning principles and their implications in training design and delivery, importance of linking training needs to organizational needs, using appropriate training methods and media to conduct and facilitate a training session etc. 20 participants attended the ToT course that took place during 27 – 31 January 2019 at InM Training Centre, Dhaka. The participants were mostly microfinance and training professionals. The training sessions were facilitated mainly by the PKSF and InM resource persons.
As per request of Executive Director, CODEC, a specialised course was designed for Branch Managers of CODEC. The title of the training is “Building Skills of Branch Managers on Microfinance Operations and Management at Field Level”. A total of 27 Managers joined the course at CODEC Training Centre, Chattogram during 14 – 17 January 2019.
This training especially focused on Risk Management at Branch level highlighting the early signaling techniques to avert losses due to delinquency. Senior and mid-level InM Trainers were the facilitators. It is pertinent to be mentioned that a total of 9 batches training will be conducted by InM in Patuakhali, Bagerhat and Chattogram.
As per request of Executive Director, CODEC, a specialised course was designed for Branch Managers of CODEC. The title of the training is “Building Skills of Branch Managers on Microfinance Operations and Management at Field Level”. A total of 25 Managers joined the course at CODEC Training Centre, Bagerhat during 17 - 20 December 2018.
This training especially focused on Risk Management at Branch level highlighting the early signaling techniques to avert losses due to delinquency. Senior and mid-level InM Trainers were the facilitators. It is pertinent to be mentioned that a total of 9 batches training will be conducted by InM in Patuakhali, Bagerhat and Chattogram.
As per request of Executive Director, CODEC, a specialised course was designed for Branch Managers of CODEC. The title of the training is “Building Skills of Branch Managers on Microfinance Operations and Management at Field Level”. A total of 27 Managers joined the course at CODEC Training Centre, Patuakhali.
This training especially focused on Risk Management at Branch level highlighting the early signaling techniques to avert losses due to delinquency. Senior and mid-level InM Trainers were the facilitators. It is pertinent to be mentioned that a total of 5 batches training will be conducted by InM in Patuakhali, Bagerhat and Chattogram.
As per request of Executive Director, CODEC, a specialised course was designed for Branch Managers of CODEC, Chattogram. The title of the training is “Building Skills of Branch Managers on Microfinance Operations and Management at Field Level”. A total of 24 Branch Managers joined the course at their training centre.
This training especially focused on Risk Management at Branch level highlighting the early signaling techniques to avert losses due to delinquency. Senior and mid-level InM Trainers were the facilitators. It is pertinent to be mentioned that a total of 5 batches training will be conducted by InM in Chattogram, Patuakhali and Bagerhat.
