Publication:
Portfolio Reviews : Resource Guide for Funders

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2012-12
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2013-04-09
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A portfolio review analyses the composition of the microfinance portfolio and the performance of individual projects across the portfolio to assess whether a funder delivers on its microfinance strategy. Combining these two perspectives provides a comprehensive analysis of whether a funder is on the right track to achieve the overall objectives it has set for its microfinance operations. This technical guide presents the portfolio review as an evaluation method that can help funders learn from what they fund. Microfinance portfolio reviews first appeared in the 1990s as an evaluation method that compares the performance of microfinance projects across a funder's portfolio. This technical guide is meant to be a reference document for staff of donors and investors who design and implement portfolio reviews, as well as for the evaluation teams who perform the reviews. It is organized as follows: section two describes the objectives and characteristics of a portfolio review; section three discusses the questions a portfolio review can help answer; section four describes a step-by-step process of a typical portfolio review; section five offers practical advice on how to implement a portfolio review; and the annexes include template terms of reference (TOR), template interview checklists, and a sample outline for the final report.
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Scola-Gähwiler, Barbara; Nègre, Alice. 2012. Portfolio Reviews : Resource Guide for Funders. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/13097 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
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