Implementation activities / implementation plan
Promote the adaptations of both indigenous and exotic technological knowledge/skills by the local communities
CODERT disseminates the knowledge of Local marketing networks methodology and ensuring that they evolve into strong, effective and accountable microfinance and entrepreneurship service delivery institutions capable of extending outreach on a significant scale.
1. CODERT deploys a team of Field Officers who are based in the project areas and provide organizational and technical training to communities to establish the Input Marketing Associations. Each Field Officer should be able to train and oversee 5 to 10 IMAs containing 5 – 25 member VSLAs (between 125 – 625 clients) per year. CODERT Full time VSLA Microfinance Supervisors will ensure that Field Officer case-loads and portfolio quality achieve and exceed projected norms. Field teams will ensure the effective operation and use of the Management Information System (MIS) and ensure timely and accurate preparation of program reports.
2. Each Field Officer will select groups for training based on broad geographical distribution, creating a low-density network of IMA groups. Having done this, the Field Offices (FOs) will recruit, train and deploy community-based Village Agents (VAs) who will work on a fee-for-service basis, with fees being charged to the groups for training and supervision. The VAs will then fan out across the zone and train communities that are close to those that have already received training – essentially filling in the gaps. The fees-for-service will be negotiated between the targeted communities and the implementing organizations, thus brokering a standard fee. The use of Village Agents is a critical element of the implementation strategy for reaching large numbers of participants at minimal cost.
3. CODERT will link mature IMA groups to higher level financial institutions to access larger pools of capital; and designing special initiatives to include working with youth and families affected by HIV and AIDS among project participants.
4. In order to establish sustainable groups, CODERT will train Community Resource Persons (CRPs) i.e. Community Trainers who will later assume the responsibilities of the field officers.
5. To guarantee replication of the methodology, community trainers will be trained to provide training and technical support to new groups that will be in addition to the VSLAs formed by project field officers
6. The Field officers broker the services and fees of the village trainers to the groups whose members will pay a standardised fee for the training. This will be done from the first training session of a group. Field officers supervise community trainers closely. After the projects’ withdrawal, community trainers will continue establishing new VSLAs and will be paid by the group members.
7. Business skills (SPM) Training: CODERT trains SPM to 20 IMAs in the year 1. Field officers will train the groups especially those in peri- urban areas and the Community Resource Persons (CRPs) who in turn will train the VSLAs group members
8. Financial literacy will also be part of important training whereby CODERT project facilitators will train the project staff from CODERT to acquire financial and credit management skills. The trained CRPs will ultimately train the community trainers in the same skills to be able to support the VSLAs and IMA development.
