FIN-B Member’s Training Workshop on Mental Health and Professional Productivity

Mental health refers to our cognitive, behavioural, and emotional wellbeing - it is all about how we think, feel, and behave. Mental health affects daily life, relationships, and even physical health. Mental healthcare in Bangladesh is almost unrecognised and non-existent. Most people, especially in the rural areas, are not aware of the importance of mental health. This causes a huge loss in human productivity due to depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and other mental illnesses.

With proper awareness on mental health and mental illness, collaboration can be developed among FIN-B members and others interested in bringing about positive changes in the field of mental healthcare and enhance the productivity of the NGOs sector personnel.

InM, under the FIN-B platform and in collaboration with LifeSpring Consultancy Limited and KK Foundation, will organise a Training Workshop on ‘Mental Health and Professional Productivity’ in February 2020 for the FIN-B members. The workshop will discuss a comprehensive concept covering the following issues:

1. Conduct awareness programme by mental health professionals
2. Create educational videos for online platforms
3. Information on services, like:
                                                    - Psychiatric & psychological services
                                                    - Participate in researches as mental health experts
                                                    - Conduct training programmes for NGOs, beneficiaries and people in the rural areas

4. Probable solution of:
                                        - Stress management
                                       - Psychological wellness
                                       - Depression
                                       -  Anxiety
                                       - Addiction

Venue: Conference Room, PKSF Bhaban
Tentative Date: 25 February 2020
Participants: FIN-B members only

International Training on
Financial Analysis and Risk Management for Microfinance Practitioners

 1.0 COURSE OVERVIEW

Managing risk is an inherent part of delivering financial services today. This course covers the critical issues of financial analysis and risk management in a dynamic and interactive learning environment. The course will use the theory and practice of financial analysis and risk management in-line with standards and sector specific global best practices.

This seven-day course is designed to help MFIs to develop and improve the quality of their own risk management processes. The focus is on problem prevention, early detection, and control. The participants will get the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and tools they require not only to support their respective areas or functions in implementing effective operational risk management but also for integrating risk management with disciplines including monitoring and compliance. It also positions them to become vital agents in improving risk-based thinking, supporting a positive risk culture and enabling their organisations to view risk as an opportunity.

The course does this by combining practical knowledge and application of risk management tools with a variety of techniques to identify its vulnerabilities, design and implement controls and monitor the effectiveness of controls with special focus on operational risks to avert financial risks as well. On completion of this course, the participants will have a solid understanding of how advanced risk management can benefit the MFIs to ensure sustainable growth in the years to come.

 2.0  BENEFITS OF ATTENDING 

• Identify and prepare for threats vis-à-vis learn how to make contingency plans, explore strategies for developing and maintaining robust alternative plan for plausible risk management.
• Design practical risk management tool kit for immediate use in the microfinance organisations.
• An opportunity to learn the means of benchmarking the participants’ organisation in line with the KPI (Key Performance Indicators).
• Models of digital financial inclusion practices.
• Best practice sharing and networking with largest microfinance development organisations like PKSF, and Grameen Bank.

3.0 POTENTIAL GAINS

After completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• EXPLAIN Risk Management Framework and Major Risks of MFIs;
• IDENTIFY how to Assess and Prioritise Risks Applying Different Risk Management Tools;
• ANALYSE Financial Statements for Setting Financial Indicators and Detect Early Signals to Avert the Losses Due to Delinquency;
• UNDERSCORE Profitability & Financial Sustainability, Liquidity & Solvency in Microfinance Programmes applying Different KPIs (Key Performance Indicators);
• DESCRIBE Best Composition of Asset Liability Management;

• DEVELOP Risk Register, Internal Control System and Policies for Effective Management of Risk;
• EXPLAIN Best Practices of Risk Management for Microfinance Institutions;

• USE Cutting Edge, Best Practice Tools and Techniques to Identify Risk in terms of both Threat and Opportunity, Assess Risk Effectively and Select Appropriate Risk Treatment Measures;
• CREATE Risk Communication Strategies and Initiatives to influence Stakeholders and set the Tone for Interactive Risk Management for sustainable growth.

4.0 WHO SHOULD ATTEND THIS COURSE

This programme is mainly targeted to Senior Microfinance Practitioners viz,

• CEOs
• Directors
• Senior Managers
• Banks dealing with Microfinance
• Supervisory & Regulatory bodies, and
• Academicians involved in microfinance, etc.

 5.0  MAJOR COURSE CONTENT

Module 1: Risk and risk mangement framework in Global Microfiannce

• Modern view on risk
• Why risk management for todays financial world
• Risk management framework for microfinance operations
• Identifying, assessing and prioritising risk
• Developing strategies to manage risk

  Module 2: Modern risk and controls to ensure sustainability of MFIs

• Operational & financial risk and control to maintain sustainable growth of MFIs
• Institutional and external risks controlling mechanism
• Interrelationships between different contemporary risks

 Module 3: Advanced financial analysis for MFIs

 A framework for evaluating MFIs

• Risk detection through analysing financial statements vis-à-vis receiving early signals
• Application and analysis of KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
• Measurement and application of financial ratio analysis and DuPont system
• Analysis and management of asset and liabilities for MFIs

Module 4: Developing risk register: Best global practices

 Risk measurement matrix to detect the extent of exposure to risk of MFIs

• Developing risk register for effective risk management
• Developing controling mechanism and prioritising the risks through risk rating

 Modfule 5: Advanced risk mitigation tools

 Internal control system as risk management tools.

• Framework of internal control for MFIs.
• Best practices of internal control techniques.
• Developing internal control system and risk management policies.

Module 6: Models of digital financial inclusion

• What and why digital financilal inclusion
• Mobile financial services.
• Role of digital finance platform towards risk mitigation in microfinance operations.
• Designing MIS and automation structure for risk management.

Note: Field trips will be arranged at PKSF, an apex development organisation and lending agency of Bangladesh for Microfinance, Grameen Bank, bank for the poor; and Coast Trust, a national NGO-MFI where the delegates will gain hands-on field and institutional experiences with special focus on advanced financial and operational risk management of MFIs. The classroom session will be for 3 days at InM International Training Centre in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. The field trip and hands-on training will be for 4 days where the participants will be acquainted with the microfinance programmes in one of the coastal zone districts, Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh, where the largest sea beach of the world is located. 

6.0  COURSE FEE

 USD 1,800 per delegate (inclusive of all). Partial scholarships are available for the candidates of developing countries.

• Travel and Health Insurance: Air ticket cost and the health insurance should be borne by the delegates/participants.
• Free Facilities:
• The host organisation will provide free acommodation and food at their well furnished international training centre, pick and drop from and/to airport.
• Field Trips in Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar: Field trips will be arranged at PKSF, Grameen Bank in Dhaka and the Coast Trust at Cox’s Bazar of Bangladesh, where the largest sea beach of the world is situated. The deligates will also visit the important historical places in Cox’s Bazar.

 7.0 ABOUT THE TRAINER

Distinguished professionals of international repute from Grameen Bank, PKSF and the host organisation, InM, will conduct the sessions.

Host: Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Duration: 7 Days (13 March 2020 to 19 March 2020)

Type: Residential

Venue: Dhaka, Bangladesh

Medium of Instruction: The language of instruction will be English. No translation could be provided.

Registration Deadline:

All registration forms (as per enclosed format) should be submitted by 29 February 2020, late applications will be considered subject to availability of the seat.  The registration form should reach by email.

Download registration form

Interested organisations/ individuals may contact InM to get further information.

Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM)

Training Centre, House 30, Road 03, Block C, Monsurabad R/A, Adabor, Dhaka- 1207
PKSF Bhaban, E- 4/B, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka- 1207, Bangladesh
Tel: +88-02-8181066; Fax: +88-02-58155526.

E-mail: dirtraining@inm.org.bd   
              musadeque@yahoo.com

(Please use both the emails)

Announcement for Registration in 4th Graduation Ceremony of InM Diploma in Microfinance Programme

The fourth graduation ceremony of InM Diploma in Microfinance Programme is going to be held on 21 November 2019 at PKSF Bhaban, Agargaon, Dhaka. The graduated participants of the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th batches will be awarded “Diploma Certificate” in the ceremony. The participants are invited to accomplish the registration procedure by 15 November 2019. Please contact with Mr. Shahadat Hossain, Senior Assistant Director-Education (phone: +88028190271) to get details about the registration procedure.

REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON ‘Partnerships Against Extreme Poverty: Putting the Financial Needs of the Extreme Poor First’

Location : Kurigram
Date           : 27/10/2019

The Financial Inclusion Network-Bangladesh (FIN-B), an initiative of the Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM), provides a platform to develop, share and disseminate knowledge and expertise in financial inclusion through stimulating exchanges, developing collaboration and supporting its members to develop as centres of excellence in their preferred areas of inclusive finance.

The principal aim is to leverage expertise in advancing financial inclusion as a key instrument for poverty reduction and inclusive growth and development in Bangladesh. The Network is a unique platform to bring together all financial sector stakeholders including government organisations/financial regulators/banks/MFIs/NGOs/financial institutions/local government and grassroots organisations for sharing ideas and best practices from home and abroad. FIN-B seeks to provide various services in an efficient, socially responsive, transparent and sustainable manner that encourages experience, resource sharing and promotion of best practices.

Since poverty, extreme poverty in particular, is not limited to a lack of economic resources but also to the absence of access to the wider means to live a life in human dignity, being poor is multidimensional, encompassing both deprivations and lack of capabilities.  As such, no single correct definition of poverty exists, and we need to include particular social, cultural and historical contexts for identifying the poor. Policy implications thus differ according to how poverty is defined and effective poverty reduction measures need to integrate the views of the people living in poverty and extreme poverty as well.

‘Putting the financial needs of the extreme poor first’ means that we must develop financial products and services that meet the needs of the poorest and the most vulnerable populations. The organisations (e.g. NGO-MFIs) entering into partnerships with InM will commit themselves to work with all stakeholders to help design and test these products. As we develop products that meet the needs and aspirations of those in extreme poverty at prices they can afford, this will improve the efficiency of the overall financial system. This will also put in place the mechanisms for achieving ‘Finance for All’.

This regional dialogue with relevant government organisations, local government institutions (LGIs), NGO-MFIs, development practitioners and other agencies including government officials will bring together the ground realities for addressing extreme poverty and restore human dignity in specific contexts. This is likely to help innovate new pathways of addressing extreme poverty and integrate the hard core poor communities and financial inclusion issues. To better reach the poorest and most vulnerable populations, we shall ensure that we include women, children, the elderly, the disabled, marginal communities, and the members of cultural and religious minorities.  

Objectives

• To facilitate cross-learning across all relevant stakeholders (e.g. government institutions, LGIs, NGO-MFIs, Concern Worldwide Bangladesh, InM, FIN-B members, development practitioners and the extreme poor communities) to help design, test, and scale up products and services that both reach those living in extreme poverty and facilitate their journey out of extreme poverty.
• To share and exchange views on how FIN-B, InM and similar organisations can effectively support sustainable financial inclusion of these vulnerable groups and facilitate their graduation out of poverty.