Sambandh’s mission statement: “To economically empower low income households by providing a broad range of client focused and responsive financial services on a continuous basis.”
MicroSave recently conducted an SPM assessment on Sambandh which brought out the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and the areas for improvement. Sambandh is an MFI operating in Northern Orissa, predominantly in the urban areas of Sundargarh District. It functions as an urban financial services initiative for low income households with a long-term view of improving the quality of life of the poor. Its objective is to support micro-entrepreneurs in developing and expanding their businesses.
The SPM exercise focused on:
Strong systems and procedures reflecting strong institutional culture
Motivated staff and healthy organisational climate as borne out by robust formal/informal communication system
Initiative to strengthen the Helpline system through requisite training of staff
Induction training focussing on role plays, punctuality and etiquette
Performance appraisal as per the organisation’s mission and values
Viable product mix
The SPM diagnostic led to improvement in process optimisation, credit risk management, incorporating social indicators and strengthening support services like Helpline facility.
