The objective of GFA Consulting Group's consulting services with regard to micro finance is the promotion of efficient, broadly based and sustainable financial services for low-income groups. In order to achieve a lasting impact, consulting services take place on three levels:

1. Creation of a favourable policy, legal and regulatory environment
2. Strengthening of institutions in support of finance institutions serving the target group
3. Facilitation of access to finance and other financial services for micro entrepreneurs

Our approach follows a bottom-up perspective, which uses the customers' needs, international best practice as well as latest technological developments as a starting point. Our core competencies lie in the support of financial institutions in making micro finance sustainable.

Financial service provision to micro and small entrepreneurs calls for financial intermediaries to operate quite differently compared to that of mainstream banking operations. The key success criteria in this market includes client-appropriate financial products, standardised credit procedures, cash flow and character-based lending, non-traditional collateral, rapid loan decision-making and disbursement, vigorous loan collection, sophisticated asset and liability management skills as well as efficient Management Information Systems (MIS). GFA Consulting Group addresses these issues by developing and implementing tailor-made solutions for financial institutions.

GFA Consulting Group offers consultancy services in the following areas:

• Regulatory framework development, which meets the needs of micro finance
• Upgrading and downscaling of financial institutions, including the establishment of a micro finance unit in the financial institution
• Consulting support for credit bureaus, credit guarantee funds, leasing associations, training institutions, etc.
• Organisational development
• Strategy and business planning
• Development of credit policies and procedures
• Credit techniques
• Risk management, asset & liability management
• Product development and marketing
• Development and implementation of MIS (incl. software)
• Credit scoring models