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Variation within the continent: Africa’s human development
Although it can be useful to consider Africa as a whole, there is considerable variation in human and economic development within the continent.
Poverty Measurements and Relevance of Micro-credit
Some recent studies on poverty have attempted to put forth terms and classifications of the very poor in a way that will allow the reader to imagine the extreme helplessness, and a state of extreme destitute amongst the people under discussion.
Points of Intervention
This section is a walk through the MicroStart process, with specific recommendations. It focuses on the key areas of intervention SUM has identified. SUM's goal is to develop simple, efficient, and meaningful procedures, and these suggestions are offered in that spirit.
Is MicroStart a Successful Microfinance Strategy for UNDP?
When MicroStart began, its designers were attempting to develop a program that would fit well with UNDP's strengths and weaknesses. They decided to focus on new institutions, recognizing UNDP's presence in many countries where microfinance was still new, as well as the limits on UNDP's ability to provide grants. In order to compensate for the lack of experience of country office staff, they developed a project blueprint that they hoped would prevent some of the most likely errors UNDP offices with little microfinance background might make.
Creating Effective Capacity Building Relationships
MicroStart's use of TSPs is an experiment in creating a new framework for capacity building. The original design sprang from the recognition that the standard CTA model in use throughout UNDP projects was not the best way to support the development of microfinance institutions.

What keeps MicroStart from selecting more high-performing organizations?
The desire to reach a target number of organizations in each country
MFI Performance in Countries Visited: A Few Numbers
Before reviewing the performance of MFIs in MicroStart, it is useful to consider what minimum level of performance would justify the expenditures MicroStart is making.

Does It Make Sense for UNDP to Help Launch Small and New Organizations?
The most fundamental question that this evaluation addresses is the validity of UNDP's decision to build a program focused on supporting small MFIs.

Overall Conclusions and Main Messages - MicroStart: Finding and Feeding Breakthroughs
Through MicroStart, UNDP is making an important contribution to the growth of microfinance around the world, both through its direct support of MFIs and through the processes and ideas it is introducing into countries where microfinance is just beginning.
Introduction - MicroStart: Finding and Feeding Breakthroughs
UNDP's Special Unit for Microfinance (SUM) commissioned a mid-term evaluation of its MicroStart program to take place in September-October 1999. SUM believed that an evaluation at this time would identify areas for improvement while there was still time to make changes. SUM directed us, as evaluators, to focus on the validity of the assumptions underlying MicroStart and on the processes used to implement it, rather than on the impact of the program.
II. How Can MicroFinance Succeed In Africa?
African microfinance is as diverse as the continent itself. An array of approaches have been used, ranging from traditional group-based systems, to specialised lending by banks and funded by international nongovernmental organisations (NGO) financial intermediaries. Consequently, examples of African microfinance offer an array of lessons of what works and doesn’t work. Drawing from these lessons, and those from non-African examples, OSCAL developed a Microfinance model based on four principles:

Other undp Related Articles

2.3 Social Development I: Economic Report on Africa 2007
While growth has recovered on the continent, the gains in terms of social development and poverty reduction are still limited. This sub-section reviews the evidence on social development through the lenses of the MDGs. Following a discussion of progress and challenges for the various goals, the sub-section provides a more detailed discussion of the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS. More details on progress towards the MDGs in Africa is provided in various ECA documents, including a forthcoming report (UNECA 2007), as well as reports by other United Nations publications (e.g. UNDP and UNICEF 2002).
3.3 Major Constraints facing the MSM sector: Support for Growth-oriented Women Entrepreneurs in Tanzania, 2005
There are two levels of constraints facing MSMEs in Tanzania, those acting as barriers to general operations and those impeding growth. The UNDP, ILO and UNIDO (2002) report concluded with a list of factors impeding the development of informal MSEs:
Overall Conclusions and Main Messages - MicroStart: Finding and Feeding Breakthroughs
Through MicroStart, UNDP is making an important contribution to the growth of microfinance around the world, both through its direct support of MFIs and through the processes and ideas it is introducing into countries where microfinance is just beginning.
Creating Effective Capacity Building Relationships
MicroStart's use of TSPs is an experiment in creating a new framework for capacity building. The original design sprang from the recognition that the standard CTA model in use throughout UNDP projects was not the best way to support the development of microfinance institutions.

Is MicroStart a Successful Microfinance Strategy for UNDP?
When MicroStart began, its designers were attempting to develop a program that would fit well with UNDP's strengths and weaknesses. They decided to focus on new institutions, recognizing UNDP's presence in many countries where microfinance was still new, as well as the limits on UNDP's ability to provide grants. In order to compensate for the lack of experience of country office staff, they developed a project blueprint that they hoped would prevent some of the most likely errors UNDP offices with little microfinance background might make.
Micro-finance Policy and Development Framework: Ethiopia
Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in sub-Saharan Africa with approximately 63 million people and almost 44% of the population being in the age of 15 years and below. Ethiopia ranks 158 out of 162 countries in the Human Development Index (UNDP, 2001a).
Training and the Poor: Learning to change
This paper explores the role of training in assisting individuals who are economically vulnerable and socially excluded (EVSE) in developing countries. Roughly speaking, almost one in four of the population in the developing world lives in absolute poverty and this number continues to increase rather than decrease. Poverty reduction is now at the top of the policy agendas of most bilateral donor agencies and international development organisations within and outside the United Nations system as well as a growing number of governments. Ambitious targets to halve poverty by 2015 have been set by the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD (see UNDP, 1998; OECD, 1997).

4.2.1 The gendered nature of poverty
Over two thirds of those living in absolute poverty are women (UNDP, 1998). As noted earlier, women are very heavily concentrated in the most marginal survival enterprises (often working at home) and in wage employment in secondary labour markets that are characterised by low skills and high turnover. In Sub-Saharan Africa, they also undertake the bulk of agricultural production. The 'training crisis' is, therefore, overwhelmingly linked to the economic and social vulnerability of women and particularly the multiple constraints that prevent them from exploiting training opportunities.
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