MicroLead's 2016 Partner Workshop exposed participants to cutting edge initiatives in branchless banking, allowing Financial Service Providers (FSPs) to reach deeper into rural areas, and continue to create/solidify the foundations of a community of practice among MicroLead stakeholders established in previous events. The event placed a focus on Ghana, a country that had recently put in place a number of new laws, regulations and initiatives to help financial institutions better reach citizens through new mobile and technological products.

According to participants and the MicroLead team alike, the event was successful in achieving the following objectives:

1. Creating the opportunity for face-to-face knowledge and experience sharing inside and outside the areas of practice of partners (i.e. bridge the understanding gap between MNOs, regulators and FSPs and the gaps among practitioners from diverse origins);
2. Continuing to build the community of practice among grantees established in previous events that will have the potential to last beyond the individual programmes;
3. Identifying key learnings from grantees and preparing for their wider dissemination (i.e. via published case studies);
4. Exposing participants to innovations in digital and rural finance taking place in Ghana;
5. Reviewing the progress made on 2015’s five-year strategy and the lessons learned so far, and;
6. Sharing key takeaways from the mid-term evaluation and incorporating key recommendations in grantees’ work plans.

The proceedings from the event detail the main points taken from the interactive sessions, presentations by experts and partners, and the field trip to savings groups and branches of Sinapi Aba Savings and Loan. Click on the icon above to read the full report.