Learning

Training Tools

Category:

We would like to highlight here innovative materials that trainers may adapt and use in courses and workshops. It is important to be creative when facilitating learning in order to maintain participants’ interest and to make the learning experience enjoyable.

The RFILC Editors would encourage members of the Rural Finance Learning Centre to share any examples of tools or creative learning methodologies that they have by posting them here.

Resources

A Microfinance Training Simulation: Client Risk and HIV/AIDS and the Challenges of Mutual Guarantee-Based Programs

This exercise is designed to stimulate thinking and discussion about how risks and costs are shared through mutual guarantee mechanisms used in microfinance. It illustrates that risks and costs are transferred to neighbors, friends, and the most economically active (but also poor) members of the community. Moreover, the lesson illustrates vividly how the risks and costs facing borrowers increases in an HIV/AIDS-affected environment, where households face extreme and often unanticipated changes in their financial capabilities and needs.


This training packet contains the following sections:

Section I provides a brief description of the Simulation: its structure, lessons, and required preparation.

Section II provides the trainer with important background information needed to prepare for the Simulation.

Section III describes how the Simulation is actually conducted: it outlines the facilitator tasks from start to finish, and provides a view of what happens in each round of play.

Section IV provides suggested information for the facilitator to use in introducing the Simulation, and then in leading a discussion after the Simulation ends.

Section V briefly describes modifications and extensions to the Simulation.

Section VI provides the “hardware” for the Simulation: instructions in preparing player envelopes, scripts for each part in the simulation, money templates needed to create the player envelopes, and the master math worksheet.

Agrivi

This application gives the opportunity to track your finance, monitor weather, manage plantations, organize task and analyse your activities. 

Course on agribusiness management for producers’ associations

The manual is aimed at improving the agribusiness management capabilities of leaders and managers of producers' associations as well as those of technicians from government, NGOs and the private sector, who provide technical assistance to agro-enterprises. It is addressed to small and medium size producers’ associations with experience in production and marketing of agricultural products. The manual includes four modules on subjects such as agrofood systems and chains, organizational principles for producers' associations, planning for producers' associations and finally post-harvest and marketing. An additional one on business management for small-scale agro-industries is also provided. These modules can be of help to strengthen producers’ and technicians’ capabilities in order to respond better to globalization and cope with the threats of increased competition, but also in order to respond to new market opportunities.

Financial Literacy Guide

Financial Literacy creates demand for financial products & services, thereby accelerating the pace of financial inclusion as it enables the common man to understand the needs and benefits of the products and services offered by the banks. All segments of the society need financial literacy in one form or the other. However, considering that a large segment of our society is financially excluded, financial literacy programs, at present, should primarily focus on the individuals who are vulnerable to persistent downward financial pressures due to lack of understanding in the matters relating to personal finance. On my visit to remote villages under outreach programs, I found that the primary challenges in improving the effectiveness of financial literacy programs is the non availability of standardized basic curriculum to be conveyed to the target group. This guide has been prepared to ensure consistency in the messages reaching the target audience from various sources, thus making them more focused and purposeful. I am sure that it will create huge demand for banking services from the common man. The guide is meant to be used by branch managers of rural branches of banks and Lead District Managers for their monthly financial literacy camps. The guide can also be used with suitable customization for educating various segments of urban excluded people. Banks need to gear up their machinery for conduct of financial literacy programs and simultaneously provide their customers affordable and user friendly access.