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The Program Quality Guidelines for Savings Groups (PQGs) represent a sector-wide effort to set minimum standards for program quality. They begin with the conviction that facilitating agencies have a responsibility to implement quality Savings Groups (SGs) that safeguard the well-being of members and the security of their assets.

As part of our "Month of PQGs," this webinar introduced participants to the main elements of the guidelines, reviewing each principle in detail and addressing any questions from participants. In the second half, practitioners shared their insights as to the importance of the PQGs for the SG field. They talked to the challenges and opportunities for applying the PQGs and shared practical considerations for their implementation. They closed with a discussion on how to promote the PQGs and keep them relevant as the SG field continues to expand.

This webinar is hosted by SEEP's Savings-Led Working Group.

Speakers

Ka¡tia Agostinho - FSD Mozambique

Ka¡tia leads the market segmentation research and coordinates FSDMoas interventions on Savings groups, women, and youth. Ka¡tia brings over 5 years' experience in business development, research, and data collection. Before joining FSDMoas, Katia was the Research Associate involved with market analysis and new business development of DAI Mozambique. Before working in the development sector, Ka¡tia worked in the financial sector with a local commercial, bank Banco Internacional de Mocambique - BIM, as a corporate client manager. Previously, Ka¡tia was involved in 3 short term projects as a consultant in the areas of health assessing the level of expenditure of public and private organizations in fighting HIV/AIDS for UNAIDS in 2009, Environment Impact Assessment in the Extractive Industries sector in 2011 for Cowi, and the level of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for UNIDO in 2010. Katia has recently published an article on women's access to finance analysing women's inclusion in agricultural value chains in Mozambique. Katia has an honours degree in Economics (2010) and certified trainings on Housing Finance by the University of Cape Town (2014), Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) framework by the FSDAfrica academy (2015), and the Smart Design for Policy and Practice Framework by the Harvard Kennedy School of Harvard University (2015).

Anuj Jain - Coady International Institute

Anuj started his learning and work in microfinance during the formative years of Self-Help Group movement in India in the 1990s. He has worked with other microfinance models (including VSLAs in Africa), financial cooperatives, as well as commercial and external capital led financial services (MFIs, Banks), taking a financial system perspective. He started his work at PRIA and worked for nineteen years at CARE in different international positions. Currently, he is a Senior Fellow for Microfinance and Development at Coady Institute since 2010, where he teaches courses in community based microfinance, inclusive urban economies, partnerships in multi-stakeholder environment, foundation in development leadership, and markets facilitation. Anuj has an MBA degree with majors in Marketing and Finance.

Moderator

Eloisa Devietti

Eloisa Devietti is co-facilitator of the SEEP Network's Savings-Led Working Group. She is responsible for identifying and managing knowledge-sharing initiatives that enhance the visibility of savings-led methodologies and contribute to innovation. Most recently, she has collaborated on developing industry guidelines for program quality of Savings Groups. Eloisa also works as Program Advisor at Oxfam America managing program design and MEL processes. She has also been involved in research, focusing most extensively on savings groups in Central America.