Impact Tools: AIMS-SEEP
We provide training and technical assistance in the use of the 5 AIMS-SEEP tools, which represent a worldwide standard for evaluating the impact of microfinance.

The AIMS-SEEP Tools:

Provide results, which are oriented to managerial decision making.

Have been used with much success in Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia.

Are promoted by funders and international organizations such as USAID, CGAP, Oxfam, ACT, Ford Foundation, ImpAct, BCIE, and NOVIB.

Are flexible, adaptable and participatory.

Include 2 quantitative surveys and 3 qualitative tools.

Are used for primary research with clients, ex-clients and non-clients.

Are cost-effective, using a cross-sectional impact methodology.

Measure changes attributable to the microfinance programs on the four levels:

  • the client
  • their business
    		•
  • their family
    		•
  • their community
    		•

    During a three-week period, you can train your personnel, do the interviews and prepare a report of findings and recommendations for the managers and board of directors. Afterwards, you can use the indicators for your on-going program monitoring in your Management Information System.

    The IDEAS team has worked closely with the following national networks of microfinance institutions to train their members and to assist them in evaluations:

    SEEP Network COPEME – Peru
    PHILNET – Philippines COVELO – Honduras
    GHAMFIN – Ghana ASOMIF – Nicaragua
    CASHPOR – Asia ALPIMED – El Salvador
    APPEND – Philippines PROMIFIN-COSUDE – Nicaragua
    Our Executive Director, Carter Garber, was one of the four persons on the SEEP Network team that developed the five AIMS-SEEP tools. He helped lead the first tools test in Honduras in September of 1997. Carter led the first full implementation of all five tools (with FINCA in Peru in 1999), the first full implementation in Asia (with ASHI in the Philippines in 2000), and led a full implementation in Africa (with Sinapi Aba Trust in Ghana in 2002). For more information, see the page “Past Impact Eval.” Carter wrote major parts of the Manual and was the Associate Editor for the 2001 Manual.
    Carter has been the Lead Trainer and Lead Consultant for the AIMS-SEEP tools internationally. He, along with other members of the IDEAS Team, taught the tools in many workshops in Latin America, North America, Asia, and Africa. During 2001, team members taught five workshops on the tools in Latin America. For a listing, see the page “Past Events in Latin America.”
    For information on the next trainings in English and Spanish on the AIMS-SEEP Tools by the IDEAS team, please see our pages called “Future Events” and “Links.”
    The AIMS-SEEP Tools manual, entitled Listening to Clients: Assessment Tools for Microfinance Practitioners, is available in English, Spanish and French at:

    www.usaidmicro.org/pubs/pubsTemplate.asp?page=/componen/aims/pubs/english/toolsmanual-eng-fr-sp.htm.
    The authors of the AIMS-SEEP tools selected Epi Info, a public domain software, to do statistical analysis for the two quantitative tools. See our page on “Software Tools” for more information.
    Download here a Powerpoint presentation explaining each of the five tools in the AIMS-SEEP Manual.
     
       
    IDEAS 1702 Dancing Fox Road, Decatur, Georgia, 30032
    Tel: 404-378-7544     Fax: 404-378-9322