New e-MFP Action Groups launched - on savings and on WASH 

New e-MFP Action Groups launched - on savings and on WASH

Action Groups (AG) are an important part of e-MFP activities allowing members to join forces and work together on specific projects and activities in areas of common interest. e-MFP is delighted to announce the launch of 2 new AGs - the 'Better Metrics for Effective Savings’  and the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Action Group

The ‘Better Metrics for Effective Savings’ Action Group, as its name suggests, aims to define better metrics to assess outreach, effectiveness, and impact of savings, with the goal of creating a standard set of savings metrics to be broadly implemented across the financial inclusion sector, ultimately leading to improved savings products that carefully respond to the clients’ needs and preferences. Although there is an increasing recognition of the relevance of savings to enhance financial inclusion and the well-being of low-income households, much less attention has been given to measure and manage savings related outcomes, especially when compared with credit. The AG was created in March 2021 under the initiative of the e-MFP Secretariat, quickly gathering the support of other e-MFP members, including WSBI, SPTF/Cerise, MFR, MSC, University of Bergamo, and individual consultants Dirk Lebe, Micol Guarnieri, and Chiara Pescatori. In its work, the AG has been collaborating with consultants Nishant Kumar and Alexis Biringanine and has also involved external stakeholders with a strong interest and expertise in the topic, such as AFI, BBVA Foundation and Blaine Stephens.

The WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) Action Group has just been created, but it builds on a series of conversations between different e-MFP members led by Aqua for All (AG Head) and including Incofin, Triple Jump, BNP Paribas, MFR, Oikocredit, and Natalia Realpe Carrillo. Access to safe and clean water and sanitation has been explicitly recognised as a human right, it is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6), and its absence or inadequacy produces negative effects at multiple levels (health, economy, environment). Despite opportunities for financial, social and environmental return, many investors find it difficult to grow their water and sanitation portfolio due to lack of knowledge and information about the sector. The AG main purpose is to address these key information/knowledge gaps in the water and sanitation sector, through activities focusing particularly on impact investors, including a study on WASH and financial inclusion. A call for a consultant to work on this research will be open until 18th July.

For further information or to join these two AGs, please contact jafonso@e-mfp.eu.

Photo 2: Liz Martin via Unsplash