"NTF4Ag: Emerging Lessons and New Frontiers brings together key results, insights from the case studies, pilots and crosscutting research conducted by MEDA and its partners over the last three years. The report is framed around INNOVATE's four learning themes, which emerged in an iterative manner from the research portfolio along with engagement with key stakeholders through events, conferences, and ongoing dialogue.
This report is aimed at a diverse set of actors in the smallholder finance landscape including the private sector, research organizations, implementing agencies, funders, and policymakers."
"This discussion paper builds on the results of the Conference Financing Global Development - Leveraging Impact Investing for the SDGs hosted by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in Berlin on 21st November 2017.
This paper shares the findings of the session. It aims to foster a conversation around impact measurement and management 2.0 and actively integrating impact incentivization in investment processes. The discussion focussed on how to incentivize the impact investing chain - those who provide capital, those who manage it, and those who receive it - to channel their efforts towards high impact SGBs and to provide adequate support for scaling impact."
"Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are uniquely positioned to address the troubling trend of rising wealth and income inequality in the United States by focusing on the creation of higher quality jobs. To move toward a reality where quality jobs are the standard- not the exception-CDFIs must build consensus around a common definition of a quality job, undertake practical efforts to foster the creation of quality jobs, and measure results to understand what works.
This discussion paper seeks to answer two important questions at the center of Community Development Financial Institutions' (CDFIs) efforts to create quality jobs: what is a quality job, and how can CDFIs measure job quality?"
"This report covers the Indian economy and its infrastructure challenges. Its challenge is different to that of most other G20 countries. Instead of an infrastructure transition, India's journey is one of infrastructure creation. It has the option to skip the growth trajectory adopted by many other countries and move straight to an economy fit for the 21st century.
India is forecast to grow at seven to eight percent in 2018-19, the fastest rate of growth amongst the G20 countries. India is still amongst the lowest quartile of nations in terms of per-capita income. People's quality of life is held back by, amongst others, the country's inadequate infrastructure."
"This study presents a new approach to the estimation of the unmet demand for financing from MSMEs in developing countries. Importantly, it also describes the potential implications for the public-sector bodies, private sector financial institutions, and technology providers. The present research adds significant value to the repository of data in the MSME space, and opens new opportunities for further investigation. It estimates both supply of and demand for MSME finance on a global scale, which has never been done in a comprehensive way. This approach estimates MSME equilibrium lending in developed economies according to the industry, age, and size categories, and applies this benchmark to MSMEs in developing countries. It estimates the MSME finance gap as the difference between current supply and potential demand which can potentially be addressed by financial institutions."
"This new report, Measuring Impact, aligns with existing best practices, and includes seven practical guidelines for good impact measurement, as well as five case studies of impact investment organisations that have successfully put these guidelines to use. In writing the report, the Working Group went through a six-month consultative and research process, which included a review of over 60 industry publications and 45 interviews with experts and practitioners in impact measurement."
"The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of the specific practices and methodologies that established impact investors are using to measure the social impact generated by their investments, and to analyze the conditions under which each measurement method is most relevant. The intended audience for our analysis is impact investors themselves, as well as social sector organizations, traditional funders, and evaluators."
"This paper argues that the time is right for banks to step up their efforts to serve micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in emerging markets. There are three reasons for our optimism. First, an estimated 60 per cent of global banking revenue growth over the next decade will lie in emerging markets. Second, more and more banks in emerging markets are finding ways to overcome the difficulties of serving the important MSME segment. Third, innovations in technology, risk assessment and business models are increasingly facilitating their effort. It is not just banks in emerging markets that should grab the opportunity. Western banks will find innovative practices that they can use to refresh and adapt their traditional banking models back home."
"G7 countries now have a strategic opportunity to scale up green and sustainable finance for SMEs. This could help support and strengthen the role that SMEs can play in connecting business growth, innovation strategies and entrepreneurial efforts with climate action and sustainable development. Mobilizing Sustainable Finance for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises. To this end, a Sustainable Finance Toolbox for SMEs has been developed which contains a range of options for G7 countries to implement on a voluntary basis in partnership with key stakeholders such as financial institutions, SME business associations, public financial institutions, as well as central banks and regulators."
"This document describes our development of an impact management approach, which we define as the management of assets in order to meet explicit impact goals (alongside financial goals). It is primarily intended for existing or prospective impact investors – although we hope the logic can also be relevant for other practitioners engaged in philanthropy and sustainability, in the interests of coordinating the various approaches to creating societal impact."