Client Voices: The Past, Present and Beyond
The first iteration of the Smart Campaign’s Client Voice research encapsulated the voices of over 4,500 current and former micro-finance clients in Benin, Georgia, Pakistan and Peru, sharing their experiences with financial providers and their thoughts on what constitutes good and bad treatment. The replication of Client Voice in Rwanda directly engages with clients to understand their experiences when using digital financial services, and reveal what concerns clients may have in this burgeoning area of financial inclusion. The objective of this research is to serve as a catalyst for improvement in client protection, as well as guidelines for the protection of low-income clients around the world.
The Business Case for Consumer Protection Certification of FSPs
The Smart Campaign is a global effort to unite microfinance leaders around a common goal: to keep clients as the driving force of the industry. When microfinance institutions implement the Campaign’s Client Protection Principles into their operations, they build strong, lasting relationships with clients, increase client retention, and reduce financial risk. Please join the Smart Campaign for an engaging panel discussion with leaders from the first two certified microfinance institutions in Nigeria, Grooming Centre and Fortis Microfinance Bank. This session will feature a candid conversation about the challenges and benefits of certification and why it makes sense from a business perspective to protect clients.
The Role of Industry Associations in the Promotion and Adoption of Responsible and Inclusive Finance
This session will demonstrate that industry associations, member based organizations representing financial institutions serving the base of the pyramid are critical market system actors that have an important role to play in helping to fill gaps around information, institutional capacity, and weak and or non-existent systems to regulate the application of common standards and promoting sustainable and pervasive change in the markets they serve.
Our panel consisting of representatives of industry associations and technical service organizations that support them will discuss how the role of these associations have evolved, especially concerning promotion of responsible finance, the triggers and activities that made this evolution possible, and market responses. We will also discuss challenges facing associations and the next steps in their responsible finance agenda.
Fintechs in Africa
Financial technology firms, otherwise known as fintechs are disrupting the industry and traditional financial services providers. From mobile money services to peer-to-peer lending and payments platforms and cryptocurrencies, this session aims to close the knowledge gap about fintechs operating on the continent. This panel discussion of fintech executives innovating financial products and services in diverse African markets will provide the supply-side view of the enabling environment and demand for innovative financial services. The session will cover topics like the digital disruption, engagement models, regulatory tools, and client protection. Additional discussion topics include venture funding, leadership and talent; and business and operational dynamics.
Management of Risk and Fraud in Digital Financial Services (DFS)
Risk and fraud pose significant strategic and operational threats for Digital Financial Services deployments – and has the potential to reduce the uptake and usage of Digital Finance solutions. This course analyses risk and fraud management from the demand side (customer level) perspective, as well as the supply side (agent network and provider level) perspective, and equips providers with prevention and mitigation strategies.
Topics to be covered:
- Digital Financial Services Models for Banks and Microfinance Institutions
- Digital Financial Services Risk and Fraud Categories: Technology Risks, Partner Risks, Customer Risks, Operations Risk, Financial Risks to name a few
- Challenges to Effective Risk and Fraud Management for Digital Financial Services
- Risk and Fraud Management Frameworks in Digital Financial Services
- Q&A
Integrating Consumer Protection in New Product Design Processes
Integrating consumer protection principles in new product design processes session will enable participants to apply a market-led approach to product development. This will ensure that the financial institutions sustainably serve their clients in particular the low-income and emerging middle-income segments. Participants will be able to describe and apply approaches to effective market research that leads to appropriate products which meet clients’ needs and results in high uptake and usage of products. Participants will also identify consumer protection issues to be addressed during the product development/refinement process and analyse internal and external considerations that affect the product development process.
Financial education toolkit – How to design, implement and measure programs
This session provides highlights of a practical toolkit designed to guide implementers of consumer financial education programs. The session covers 1: Fitting your program into the bigger picture, 2: Setting specific objectives, 3: Pre-testing and piloting and 4: Results-based management. The key focus of this session will incorporate numerous practical examples and case studies which are used to illustrate the nuts and bolts of the ‘how to’. This session will improve attendees’ understanding of the importance of financial capability, and the various aspects of designing, implementing and measuring a financial consumer education program and how they fit together successfully.