Listening to Clients
Full Review

Reviewed by: Kh. Ganjoloo, Branch Manager, XacBank, Mongolia
Review posted 6 April 2006
Review No. 75

CD-ROM Information

Content: This CD-ROM set is a useful compilation of training materials on client assessment and participatory market research tools. The content features simple, visual guidelines with an emphasis on the use of participatory tools to learn about clients’ needs and make improvements in financial products and services of microfinance programs. It definitely encourages microfinance organizations to become more market-led and listen to their clients' needs.
Publication Date: 1 June 2005
Audience: The CD-ROM content is generally aimed at microfinance practitioners yet much of the material is suitable for trainers in microfinance organizations or consulting firms. Other likely users might be research staff in microfinance NGOs or consulting organizations that assist microfinance practitioners in developing new products and/or revising existing products. The training materials are not designed as introductory courses for beginners. Rather, they will serve as a reference guide to those who already have a good understanding of participatory market research tools.
Producer: Microfinance Opportunities, Microsave
Size: 4.4 GB
Price: $100 plus shipping
Manual needed: Yes. Included with CD-ROM.
How to order:

Order online.*

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Email: info@mfopps.org
Tel: +1-202-721-0050
Fax: +1-202-721-0010

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Full Review

Content

The program is available in two formats, either a single Video-CD/DVD or a nine CD-ROM set. In the set each CD-ROM contains folders with specific tools, individual audio files, and PowerPoint slide presentations on the tools featured in that particular CD-ROM. Three toolkit manuals included in the set compliment this content: AIMS/SEEP Assessment Tools Manual, MicroSave's PRA for Microfinance Toolkit, and MicroSave’s Market Research for Microfinance. The CD-ROM also features a participant's guide for a six-day training program.

The entire series is organized into 9 market research modules and three additional methodology modules on preparing, moderating, and analyzing focus group sessions. The modules on market research tools include financial landscape analysis, financial sector trend analysis, loans and savings use, relative preference ranking, simple ranking, client satisfaction, exit survey, life-cycle analysis, and seasonality analysis. The final CD-ROM has information on Microsave's market-led solutions with the latest Microsave’s toolkits, papers and briefing notes, Microfinance Opportunities, and a section with information about the Eight P's of marketing.

The most visible difference in the CD/DVD and the CD-ROM set is the number of discs needed to access the materials. The content in both formats is identical. The DVD format makes it much easier to locate specific topics and materials. The DVD is also easy to navigate because all the modules, manuals, and toolkits are accessible from a well organized and easy to follow first page. Clearly, some users may not have a DVD drive on their computers. However, those who do will find this product much more straightforward to use.

Overall the modules do a commendable job of conveying information that helps users gain a better understanding of clients' needs. There are adequate service models for trainers and organizations to use when responding to their unique client profiles. Beyond the assessment strategies, there is abundant material showing how microfinance institutions (MFIs) can adjust their products and services, or develop new ones. The audio-visual presentations support the accompanying toolkits in an effective way. The material is introduced and delivered at a measured pace and the videos provide an on screen, English language transcript in order to maximize the comprehension. A special strength of this toolkit in either format is that it uses visual aids to clearly explain  important aspects of the tools to non-native English speakers. It also offers the manuals and some of the other materials in French and Spanish.

The first CD-ROM has excellent training materials, including guides offering adult learning techniques and refresher exercises. The reference materials are useful and informative. There are also two Excel files that will help organizations to estimate the costs required to run training programs for 6 or 12 days. This is extremely useful because the investment cost in staff training is an important consideration for MFIs.

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User–friendliness

For the CD-ROM set, users will need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader and have software to support the PowerPoint presentation program to view the documents and presentations. The total CD-ROM file size is large (4.4GB) so downloading the set to a hard drive requires significant capacity. It is better to skip downloading and run the program from the CD-ROMs.

Because there are many CD-ROMs, users will need to become well acquainted with the content of each CD-ROM in order to efficiently access information. While this is doable, it is also quite daunting. The participant's guide to the 6-day training course assists users with managing the content.

The CD/DVD solves downloading problems or inconvenience of multiple CD-ROMs while offering a significantly friendlier user environment. Even users who are inexperienced with computer-based training tools will find the program to be intuitive and easy to access. However, in many developing countries older computer hardware might make the DVD format inaccessible because it requires a DVD drive.

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Navigability

Instructions for using the CD-ROM set are located in the Xtras folder on each CD-ROM. Unfortunately these instructions are only marked as a "Read Me" file, so users looking for a more clearly marked "Users Guide" may have to click out of curiosity to find the instructions. That said, once a user is at the page, the instructions are clear, well written, and simple to follow.

When using the CD-ROM set format users must open up different CD-ROMs and different .PDF files to move between chapters. As mentioned before, this can be daunting. The video presentations are part of the PowerPoint slide show, but are accessible outside the slide show by double-clicking on the video screen and then clicking on the gold speaker icons for the accompanying audio files.

The navigability on the CD/DVD is very good. Because all the files are integrated and accessible on the first page, users have no difficulty navigating to any module, topic, toolkit, or presentation. The navigation is managed using the standard toolbar, and the "Back" button returns users to the first page.

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Interactivity

Beyond the audio/visual interactive features, there are no quizzes or other interactive practice exercises for users to gauge how well they have understood the content. Such learning reinforcement would be a valuable feature to add. Also, there was no search function to help users find references for materials and no glossary of terms.

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Distribution

The cost of this training material would be considered prohibitive for many individual practitioners and some organizations in developing countries. For others, the CD-ROMs are available online at www.cdbaby.com for $100 a copy. Offering this product at a developing country rate would make it more accessible.

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Sustainability

The content is not likely to change in the short term and is likely to remain relevant for some time.

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