Community Safe Finance

🔸The third strategy of the #CommunitySafeFinance project focused on: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 1. Design pilot test #toolkits and launch #financial literacy (digital and non-digital) training kits for trainers and follow-up #training. 2. Establish, produce, and launch toolkits (digital and non-digital) for project implementers, #community facilitators, and #volunteers for outreaching, implementing, and reporting in-home visits, group #discussions, and public #forums. 3. Create and launching a #project implementation manual (project information management) that will be used to expand the scope of future #projects. Cambodia Microfinance Association #SafeFinance #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

🔸 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮 2: 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙉𝙂𝙊𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 In this second strategy, the "𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲" project focuses on four key priority #activities, including: 1️⃣ Coordinate and #consult closely with relevant #government ministries, regulators, local #authorities, #community facilitators (CF), and village volunteers (VV) to gather inputs for project design, #implementation, planning, and subsequent project improvement. 2️⃣ Coordinate to form #partnership agreements with #national and international #stakeholders related to the #development of training of trainers and continuing training on #financial literacy. 3️⃣ Mobilize #technical and #financial resources to support pilot testing and implementation. 4️⃣ Participate and present this #project to national, #regional, and international forums to promote and mobilize national and international public relations and seek #support. 🤝 In response to the second strategy, the "Community Safe Finance" project has also actively engaged in partnerships to secure financial and technical #resources from various #stakeholders, including ADA, Cerise+SPTF, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), The Association of Banks in Cambodia, Credit Bureau Cambodia, and KPY Organization.

🔸 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮 1: 𝙀𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮, 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 In this first strategy, the "𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲" project focuses on five key priority activities, including: 1️⃣ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 (𝗙𝗜) through the provision of training to sub-national trainers (TOTs), community facilitators (CFs), and village volunteers (VV) at the commune and village level that is in line with the direction of the National Bank of Cambodia. 2️⃣ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 formal financial services model (FSM) which is updated on potential product and service categories for target communities. 3️⃣ 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 of financial literacy and promote the benefits of using formal financial services licensed by the National Bank of Cambodia, committed to protecting consumers through home visits, group discussions, and commune/Sangkat public forums. 4️⃣ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 to potential target groups, especially women entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, and smallholder farmers, through digital and other educational materials that are relevant to the local context. 5️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗺𝘀 via hotline, resolve complaints, and respond to appropriate solutions in accordance with the guidelines of the National Bank of Cambodia. Cambodia Microfinance Association  #SafeFinance #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

🔸 To accomplish the #strategic objectives of the #CommunitySafeFinance project, the project's Central Committee established the following five strategies: 1. Enhance #Financial literacy, consumer empowerment, and protection 2. Strengthen #partnerships through resource mobilization and participation from #governments, authorities, national and international #NGOs, and #development partners 3. Promote the development of #guidelines and tools for project implementation and improve the quality of implementation 4. Document evidence and apply good lessons toward the project scope expansion 5. Strengthen #leadership, #management, monitoring, and evaluation #mechanisms and coordinate with relevant institutions to strengthen and expand implementation Cambodia Microfinance Association #SafeFinance #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

🔸 The primary #goal of piloting the "Community Safe Finance" project in those communes is to evaluate project feasibility, resolve #issues, involve #stakeholders, optimize resources, gain #insights from experiences, and mitigate risks. 🔸 This approach enhances the likelihood of a successful #program implementation during the scaling-up phase and ensures the project's long-term effectiveness and #sustainability. Cambodia Microfinance Association #SafeFinance #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

On 20th December 2023 the “Community Safe Finance” executive team held the held the Annual Central Committee Meeting at the National Bank of Cambodia (Sen Sok). The primary objective of this meeting was to present the progress made in 2023, including the performance of both the activities plan and financial report. Additionally, the Central Committee engaged in discussions regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and strategies for implementing the 2024 Action Plan. This gathering marked the fourth meeting of the Central Committee, with participation from eight members representing various organizations such as the National Bank of Cambodia, the Cambodian Microfinance Association, the Association of Banks in Cambodia, and Credit Bureau Cambodia Co, LTD. The "Community Safe Finance" project has been successfully piloted in four communes: Kampong Thom, Battambang, Kampong Speu, and Svay Rieng.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework - Learning In the “Community Safe Finance” project we give importance to Learning as it drives improvement, adaptation, innovation, evidence-based decision-making, knowledge sharing, stakeholder engagement, and project sustainability. By embracing a learning mindset, the Central Committee member of the project and team can continuously enhance the performance, increase project effectiveness, and achieve meaningful and sustainable results. We collect data, analyze and share what we have learned to further improve the implementation of the following projects: - Conduct regular workshops to facilitate discussions and reflect on the progress of work with relevant institutions and compile experiences and lessons learned to strengthen and expand implementation through regular workshops and reflective meetings (monthly, quarterly, and annually) and - Conduct workshops to share project experiences in national and sub-national forums, development partners, and stakeholders to seek support and expansion of project implementation. Cambodia Microfinance Association Cerise+SPTF #SafeFinance #Cambodia #CMA #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework - Accountability Accountability is crucial in the “Community Safe Finance”project management as it ensures transparency, enhances stakeholder confidence, enables efficient resource allocation, facilitates timely problem identification and resolution, fosters continuous improvement, contributes to stakeholder satisfaction, and promotes organizational learning. To ensure the accountability in the “Community Safe Finance” project, we undertake the following: 1. Establish a project steering committee that is responsible for coordinating, seeking financial and human resources supports and being responsible to donors. 2. Provide information and communicate with clients and the community (For example, sharing information regularly, in a timely manner, and being able to participate in the project process). 3. Ensure that all data and information collected from clients and communities (For example, initial studies and final evaluations) are accurate and part of project implementation. 4. Provide a grievance mechanism and a response and feedback mechanism (telephone number, documents, and materials) to stakeholders. Cambodia Microfinance Association Cerise+SPTF #SafeFinance #Cambodia #CMA #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) Framework - Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a crucial component for the “Community Safe Finance” project by offering a systematic and structured approach to assess a project's progress, effectiveness, and impact. It also ensures accountability and transparency by tracking project activities and resource utilization, providing evidence-based information for informed decision-making and stakeholder oversight. With M&E, this will enable the performance tracking against the project objectives, targets, and indicators, identifying deviations and allowing the Central Committee for timely corrective actions and resource allocation adjustments. Furthermore, M&E also help the project promote learning and continuous improvement by collecting and analyzing data to identify best practices, lessons learned, and areas for enhancement. It facilitates evidence-based decision-making by providing reliable data on project outcomes and impacts, reducing reliance on assumptions. M&E also supports stakeholder engagement, effective communication, sustainability and impact assessment, as well as compliance with objectives and reporting requirements. For more details on the M&E of the Community Safe Finance, please review the picture attached. Cambodia Microfinance Association Cerise+SPTF #SafeFinance #Cambodia #CMA #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection

MEAL Framework: The monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) framework has been developed to ensure that the Community Safe Finance project is evidence-based, responsive to community needs, and accountable to stakeholders. The MEAL framework provides a structured approach to project management, allowing the Central Committee to identify successes, challenges, and areas for improvement, and to use data and feedback to make informed decisions about expanding the project. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) is critical for the project to ensure that the project are effective and sustainable. @Cambodia Microfinance Association @CERISE+SPTF #SafeFinance #Cambodia #CMA #FinancialLiteracy #ConsumerEmpowerment #ClientProtection