Undertaking client assessment is like taking a road trip. It is a process by which an organization sets out on a lasting journey, learning from and about its customers so as to understand their needs and expectations. Initially, the travel is bumpy—often the case when someone learns how to drive. Typically, it begins with periodic excursions to learn about the client environment. With time, the institution develops a checklist that makes the next trip easier to plan and undertake.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a client assessment checklist for MFIs that outlines:
• necessary preparations for conducting and institutionalizing client assessment activities
• which stakeholders should be involved in the process
• the financial implications of conducting client assessment
• potential trade-offs and pitfalls of the process that need to be recognized up-front

Essentially, the paper provides a roadmap for client assessment that can guide an MFI as it thinks through the opportunities offered by client assessment and prepares to undertake the process. Case studies from MFIs around the world are used to illustrate how the process works in practice.