MDI-NH Course Descriptions
Students enrolled in MDI courses can earn up to four academic credits toward the 39 credits required for a master's degree in Community Economic Development (CED) at Southern New Hampshire University. Fees are $200 for two academic credits and $400 for four academic credits. Please see additional details on the Enrollment and Costs page.
Southern New Hampshire University's School of CED is the oldest graduate program of its kind in the United States. Those students who garnered academic credits through their participation in MDI courses and who seek a graduate degree can apply to the School of CED's low-residency Summer Intensive Program based in Manchester, NH Our fully accredited 13-month intensive master's degree program requires that students spend only two six-and-a-half week summer sessions in class in the United States; between summers they take courses online and carry out a project in their home communities. The program is designed to serve practitioners committed to social change and interested in gaining skills, forming networks and learning from the experience of others.
Community Economic Development is a holistic way of fostering sustainable development at the grassroots within neighborhoods, cities, rural areas, and across the globe. The half day Opening Session on Monday June 8th will bring into focus why we are motivated to do development work and some of the core principles and practices of creating community based and owned initiatives to fight poverty and build equity. Participants from all three Knowledge Tracks will explore what CED work is already happening in the communities where they work and how we can build a local and region-wide practice for Community Economic Development.
We are living in unprecedented times where change is not only a political slogan but is an inevitable consequence of human development which has raged at an unsustainable pace for more than a century. While the first world deals with scaling down and urgent actions to stem carbon emissions much of the developing world still reaches for the golden ring of economic progress. There is no question that moving forward as a species will take a new way of thinking about how we use energy, how we consume, how we plan or fail to plan our growth, where we are going in a world where barriers of time, space, race, country and tribe are being transformed. How will we get there? Are environmental collapse and a world dissected by petty wars over land and resources, religion and political ideology inevitable? What role will grassroots community-based economic development play in making the shift the world needs for its survival? During this half day session we will explore these issues and set the tone for how we will look at development from many angles in the courses in which we have enrolled over the two week of the MDI-NH.
Microfinance Intermediate and Advanced Skills (5 courses)
Pro-Poor Market Development (PPED- 3 courses)
Community Economic Development (CED- 4 courses)
| Dates | Course Name | Track | Facilitator |
| Sun. 6/7 | Financial Refresher | Microfinance | Kadry Furany |
|
Mon. 6/8 Full Day |
Principles and Practices of CED - AM Sustainable Development in the Age of Climate Change - PM (MDI registrants attend AM and all SIP and MDI students attend PM) |
Core Courses |
Jolan Rivera and |
| Tues. 6/9 - Sat. 6/13 Full Day |
ProPoor Enterprise Development Principles and Practices (field trip on Wednesday) |
Pro-Poor Enterprise Development | Linda Jones |
| Tues. 6/9 - Sat. 6/13 | MFI's Financial Performance Analysis ** | Microfinance |
Kadry Furany |
| Tues. 6/9 - Fri. 6/12 AM |
Current Issues in Microfinance and Microenterprise Development | Microfinance | Malcolm Harper |
|
Tues. 6/9 - Sat. 6/13 |
Nuts and Bolts of Microfinance | Microfinance | Michael Spingler |
|
Tues. 6/9 - Wed. 6/10 |
Development of Cooperatives (field trip on Wednesday) | Community Economic Development | Christine Clamp |
| Thurs. 6/11 - Sat.6/13 Full Day |
Community Economic Development Approaches to HIV/AIDS | Community Economic Development | Monica Onyango |
Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM (Financial Refresher)
Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to Noon and 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday 8:30 AM to Noon and 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
| June 15 to June 20 | |||
| Dates | Course Name | Track | Facilitator |
| Mon. 6/15 - Wed. 6/17 | Designing and Planning PPED Programs ** | Pro-Poor Enterprise Development | Alexandra Snelgrove |
| Mon. 6/15 - Wed. 6/17 | Microfinance and Enterprise Development in Emergency Environments | Microfinance | Timothy Nourse |
| Thurs.6/18 - Sat. 6/20 | Microenterprise Development Strategies Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship | Microfinance | Fiona Macaulay |
| Mon. 6/15 - Fri. 6/19 | Development as a Tool of Conflict Resolution | Community Economic Development | Chris Mburu |
| Mon. 6/15-Wed. 6/17 | Gender Issues in Community Economic Development | Community Economic Development |
Martin O'Reilly and |
| Thurs. 6/18-Sat. 6/20 |
Implementation Strategies for PPED Programs | Pro-Poor Enterprise Development | Alejandro Escobar |
| Thurs. 6/18-Sat. 6/20 |
Environmental Impact Assessment for CED practitioners |
Community Economic Development | Irene Alvarado Van der Laat |
** Indicates Course Prerequisites. See full descriptions below.
Week Two Daily Schedule:
Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to Noon and 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Saturday 8 AM to Noon and 1:00 to 3:30 PM
Track Overview
For 2009 the MDI-NH will offer several of its most popular courses in a new schedule format with courses ranging from two to five full day sessions. The Microfinance track covers basic to advanced skills in institutional and financial management and current issues in the field of MF and MED in Week One. In Week Two explore two timely and critical topics for the field in the 21st century MF and MED in Emergency Environments and MED Strategies Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship. Most courses are geared towards experienced practitioners (2-5 years minimum – see prerequisites) and our facilitators include some the leaders and sages of the global microfinance movement.
A Financial Refresher
Sunday June 7th (one day course)
10 AM to 4 PM
Facilitator: Kadry Furany
Prerequisites: None
Targeted participants: MFI’s Senior / Middle Management, Donors staff, and MFI’s support agencies with little or no accounting background and experience in the development of financial statements of MFI’s. The refresher will enable participates to understand basic accounting concepts, as well as contents and layout of financial statements (income statement, and balance sheet). The course is a preparatory stage for participants of the MFIs Financial Performance Analysis course and the MFIs Financial Management, Monitoring and Evaluation course in week two.
MFIs Financial Performance Analysis**
Tuesday June 9th to Saturday June 13th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Kadry Furany
Prerequisites: Participants of the course should have basic understanding about the contents and layout of MFIs financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, in addition to the portfolio report) or are encouraged to attend the one day Financial Refresher course.
Targeted participants: MFI’s Senior / Middle Management, Donors staff, and MFI’s support agencies with little/no experience with development and analysis of financial statements of MFI’s. The purpose of the course is to teach participants how to assess and analyze the performance trends of Microfinance projects through the effective utilization of financial ratios. While participants should have a basic understanding of accounting and the interpretation of financial statements, the course will provide a basic overview of these concepts before entering into more complex types of analysis. The course is very rich with case studies, group exercises, and best / better practices that will help participants understand implications of decisions/directions of MFI’s. The course is designed to be very participatory using high standard adult education techniques and is consistently one of the highest rated and most popular of the MDC and MDI curriculum.
Current Issues in Microfinance and Microenterprise Development
Tuesday June 9th to Friday June 12th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Malcolm Harper
Prerequisites: None
Modern' or 'new paradigm' micro-financial services are reaching perhaps as many as eighty million people worldwide. These services are being provided by specialized micro-finance institutions (MFIs), by existing banks which have added micro-finance to their product portfolio, and by non-governmental organization (NGOs) which offer micro-finance along with other services. Millions of previously un-banked households are being reached every year, and in India and Bangladesh between 20% and 50% of the target families have been covered. Multinational banks such as Citibank, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and ABN AMRO, along with many large local commercial banks and venture capital funds are involved in supporting and securitising MFI portfolios.
Leaders such as Senator Hillary Clinton and the Queen of Spain, as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and others, are enthusiastic supporters of this movement. Globally 2005 was recognized and celebrated as the Year of Micro-credit. Euphoria is widespread; credit is deemed to be a human right, some say that micro-finance will eliminate poverty. Micro-finance has come of age.
Although micro finance is often touted as a cure for poverty in developing countries, there is little evidence to support this claim. In many countries market penetration is still low and several millions of the poorest people are still excluded. The time has come for some cautious reappraisal of micro-finance. There are a number of critical issues that merit examination. The intention of this course is not to throw out the baby with the bath water, but to look critically at what is happening, to fine-tune, perhaps to pause and reflect. This course will focus on providing participants with the knowledge and the skills critically to examine the major developments in micro-finance in the last decade.
Using participant-centered teaching methodologies and real life case studies, this course will be useful for participants who are looking for a wide-ranging introduction to micro-finance, for national and international policy makers and donors, and for people who work in the field and are looking for a broad overview of trends and alternative strategies.
Some of the major questions that will be examined in this course are –
- Reaching the poorest of the poor - Does micro finance really help the poorest?
- Gender Empowerment - can loans to women lead to real employment creation and the evolution of a 'modern' economy? What does it mean to say that micro-finance leads to women's empowerment?
- Group intermediation: can groups realistically facilitate loans to traditional individualist entrepreneurs?
- Delivery methodologies: can the highly structured and disciplined Grameen approach really empower people?
- Livelihoods: is micro-finance essential for livelihood development? Can an MFI combine financial services with livelihood promotion services?
- Institutions: should NGOs try to be banks? Is micro-finance any more than a subset of banking, and should it not be done by existing licensed banks?
- Regulation: why should central banks bother with special regulations for MFIs? Should MFIs not hand over their portfolios to the existing regulated banks?
Nuts and Bolts of Microfinance – The Risks, Plans, Management, and Monitoring of an MFI
Tuesday June 9th to Saturday June 13th
8:30 AM to Noon Tuesday through Friday and Saturday 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Facilitator: Michael Spingler
Prerequisites: None
As today’s MFIs operate in an environment where both the nature and potential consequences of market and product development, competition, fund sourcing are on the rise, a significant and recognized need in the Microfinance Industry is the development of strong, capable and knowledgeable managers to continue the improvement and growth of the MFIs.
This course is designed to provide the participant with an overall understanding of the MFI management, planning and monitoring strategies, tools and systems. Sessions will seek to develop skills and capacity to examine various areas such as competition, expansion, growth, product development, service delivery and human resource, marketing and information management systems. Throughout the sessions, key focus areas will include identifying risks, developing plans and reviewing industry examples and best practices. The result will be managers that can successfully develop and implement business and operating plans and conduct the day to day operations of an MFI.
This course is intended for existing managers as a chance to exchange experiences, gain new perspectives on industry trends and as an opportunity to learn the best practices. It provides a tremendous opportunity for potential and/or newly appointed managers and Board of Directors to gain the necessary foundation to undertake their responsibilities to design, develop and implement appropriate plans, policies and strategies. For government officials, funders & donors it is a chance to learn the key practices MFIs should adhere to and what to look for in assessing and monitoring an MFI. Finally for people new to industry, it provides an overall appreciation of the key aspects of microfinance institutions.
Course Objectives:
Participants will be able to:
• Identify risks that senior and branch management face in the day to day operations of an MFI
• Recognize planning needs and develop appropriate plans for a given technical area and/or risk
• Understand key decisions points for a given technical area and/or risk and use management tools to mitigate risk and/or increase efficiency/effectiveness of operations
• Implement monitoring activities / tools and identify key results, lessons learned or improvement areas
Microfinance and Enterprise Development in Emergency Environments
Monday June 15th to Wednesday June 17th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Timothy Nourse
Prerequisites: None
Over the past twenty years, conflict in the developing world has changed in number and nature, rising in frequency and shifting from wars between states to long-term internal conflicts. At the same time, population pressures and/or poor governance have exacerbated the effects of natural disasters in many developing countries. As the prevalence of these emergency situations has increased, so has their effect on microfinance and enterprise development programs. Successful microfinance institutions have had to react to civil strife or natural disasters in their country and new microfinance institutions have been called upon to provide services in post-conflict or post disaster environments as part of reconstruction efforts. Similarly, enterprise development programs that traditionally began years after an emergency are starting earlier and earlier, as donors and practitioners try to accelerate recovery and economic development efforts.
This course in Microfinance and Enterprise Development in Emergency Environments will examine both the challenges and opportunities posed by emergency and post-emergency environments on microenterprise development activities. Students will review the characteristics of emergency environments and discuss how microfinance institutions or enterprise development programs can work in situations of insecurity, civil strife and disaster. Afterwards, focus will turn to post-conflict or post-disaster reconstruction and how different initiatives can be implemented to respond to the difficulties of poor infrastructure, weak markets, insecurity and low human resource capacity, while taking advantage of the opportunities presented by failed systems to forge more effective environments for financial service provision and business development. Finally, the course will examine how microenterprise development programs should interact with different actors in emergency environments, including government, donors, MFIs and other relief agencies.
MED Strategies Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship
Thursday June 18th to Saturday June 20th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitators: Fiona Macaulay & Ximena Arteaga
Prerequisites: None
Course Goals:
The main purpose of the “Youth-Inclusive Financial Services: Implementing Good Practices in the Field” is to provide microfinance practitioners and youth enterprise and livelihoods practitioners an overview of today’s relevance of financial services to youth in the developing world and how to design and implement interventions to expand youth-inclusive financial services.
This course offers a practical step-by-step framework for exploring youth-inclusive financial services. Through hands-on activities and case study discussions, you will learn about emerging good practices in this field and walk away with tangible tools, youth-inclusive financial services packages, and action plans that are tailored to the specific needs and interests of your organizations and the young people you intend to serve.
This course is appropriate for those who are committed to or are already offering services to youth entrepreneur or future entrepreneurs. It is not for students with only a passing interest in the topic.
Course Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will have:
• Discussed the role that youth-inclusive financial services play for youth, financial institutions and youth-serving organizations.
• Reviewed different youth-friendly market research approaches
• Discussed the importance of the “holistic package” of services such as mentoring, financial literacy and other services that youth require alongside financial services.
• Reviewed diverse financial products (including savings) offered to youth by diverse financial institutions worldwide.
• Explored the role and value of, and key considerations for partnerships.
• Developed a list of critical success factors that should be in place to maximize youth inclusive financial services.
• Discuss the role and depth of Monitoring and Evaluation.
• Developed an organizational action plan.
Courses
Pro-Poor Enterprise Development Program (PPED) is a two-week track consisting of three modules that prepares participants for all stages of PPED projects from basic concepts through research and market assessment, design and planning, and implementation. The track courses are suitable for managers, donors and practitioners who are involved in value chain, BDS or market development programs that target poor producers and entrepreneurs. The course introduces participants to basic principles and concepts of PPED including value chain and subsector analysis, support services, and market linkages. Tools and techniques for PPED projects are also offered, from market assessment through project design and implementation. Participants learn how to identify opportunities and overcome constraints that hinder microentrepreneurs and smallholder farmers from being profitably involved in market activities. The course also enhances skills and knowledge in the design and development of well-functioning value chains which lead to “win-win” long-term relationships. It is taught by experienced practitioners with track records both in designing and implementing PPED projects, as well as in teaching and facilitating workshops in Africa, Latin America and around the globe.
Module One: Pro Poor Enterprise Development Principles And Practices - Foundational Concepts and Practices for Pro-Poor Value Chain Analysis and Market Development Programs
Tuesday June 9th to Saturday June 13th
8:30 AM to 5 PM (Includes Wednesday Field Trip)
Facilitator: Linda Jones
Prerequisites: None
This course will provide an overview of current market development theory and best practice: subsector selection, value chain analysis, support market assessment (including ‘BDS’ – Business Development Services) and intervention design. Participants will learn how to use market assessment tools to collect information and be introduced to the analysis and use of this information in program design. A field trip to northern New Hampshire will provide practical experience and facilitate the learning of classroom teachings. Teaching tools will include case studies, exercises, interactive lectures and small group work. A variety of learning methods – instruction, observation, practice – will be utilized to provide hands-on experience and develop capacity in data collection, consolidation and analysis.
Learning Objectives:
- Introduce participants to the basic principles of pro poor market development
- Familiarize participants with subsector and value chain analysis and selection
- Provide a practical grounding in information gathering approaches and tools, and their specific application to market development / value chain program design
- Offer a hands-on opportunity for understanding and application of introductory learning
- Expose participants to solutions and interventions that have been used in a range of contexts to overcome constraints in market development / value chain programs
Module Two: Designing and Planning PPED Programs -Tools and Techniques For The Design and Planning of Innovative Programs with Sustainable Results**
Monday June 15 to Wednesday June 17
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Alexandra Snelgrove
Prerequisite: Week One or permission of instructor.
Building on the basic concepts, market research and value chain analysis skills acquired in the prerequisite course, participants will develop capacity in the design and planning of innovative PPED programs with sustainable results. Participants will become familiar with a range of concepts, strategies, and presentation tools.
This will include:
- Learning a methodology for comprehensive problem analysis and problem trees
- Utilizing problem analysis to create a logical framework analysis (LFA)
- Developing program activities and workplans
- Selecting appropriate and achievable indicators at the output, outcome, and impact level
- Understanding results-based program design
- Mainstreaming cross-cutting themes
- Teaching methods will include: case study analysis, team and individual problem solving, brainstorming sessions, exercises Takeaway guides and toolkits will facilitate application in the field.
Learning Objectives:
- Deepen participant’s exposure to solutions and interventions that have been used in a range of contexts to overcome constraints in market development programs
- Equip participants with methods for turning identified constraints into viable solutions
- Build skills in designing interventions that can achieve desired solutions and outcomes
- Gain confidence and practice in the design of innovative program interventions
- Develop participants’ capacity to incorporate cross-cutting themes into programs including HIV/AIDS, gender and M&E
Module Three: Implementation Strategies for PPED Programs - Programming Approaches, Value Chain Models and Implementation Methodologies**
Thursday June 18 to Saturday June 20
8:30 AM to 5 PM Thursday and Friday and 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM Saturday
Prerequisite: Week One or permission of instructor.
Facilitator: Alejandro Escobar
Prerequisite: Week One or permission of instructor.
During this course, participants will be taken through market development structures and strategies that promote viable value chains with specific reference to producer group’s formation, management and their subsequent linkage to lead firms both local or export. The course will demonstrate that effective market development strategies are critical for generating both economic growth and poverty reduction. Specific topics to be covered include: Core philosophy for market development initiatives; Determination of competitive strategies that integrates smallholder producers within sustainable value chains; Identification of key players to provide market support services to enable producers to upgrade; Development of “win-win” commercial and mutual relationships along the supply chain and its implications on long-term competitiveness; and Defining different exit strategy options to ensure long-term sustainability. Teaching tools include case studies, group exercises, plenary discussion and lectures.
Learning Objectives:
- Enhance skills and knowledge in the design and development of well-functioning value chains which lead to “win-win” long-term relationships
- Enable participants to analyze and understand the role of different stakeholders within value chains, and to overcome bottlenecks and other barriers
- Build participants’ capacity to evaluate the performance of the market development program especially its long-term sustainability after the program has ended
Development of Cooperatives
Tuesday June 9th to Wednesday June 10th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Christina Clamp
Prerequisites: None
A cooperative is a flexible model for creating community-owned institutions. This course covers the start-up of a cooperative, membership issues, legal issues, tax and security issues, cooperative management systems and the educational components of cooperative development. Students review various types of cooperatives, including worker, consumer, credit and housing cooperatives.
Community Economic Development Approaches to HIV/AIDS
Thursday June 11th to Saturday June 13th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Monica Onyango
Prerequisites: None
The AIDS epidemic touches all aspects and levels of society. The disease affects individuals of all ages including those in the most productive age groups, thereby disrupting livelihoods. Individuals, families and communities need to be prepared to cope with the effects of HIV/AIDS epidemic in their lives in sustainable ways.
This course introduces students to the economic, social, and political impact of HIV/AIDS on the health of families, communities, and society. Techniques for working with communities to identify culturally appropriate responses to HIV/AIDS are presented. Using examples from developing countries, community-based approaches will be explored and analyzed. Lectures, case studies, in-class exercises and videos will be used to facilitate learning.
General objective:
The main aim of this course is to introduce HIV/AIDS disease and its impacts on individuals, families and communities. Participants will explore practical strategies of community economic development to mitigate the consequences of the disease.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to
- Describe Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS): signs and symptoms, treatment and preventive measures
- Discuss the global magnitude of HIV/AIDS epidemic
- Analyze the impacts of HIV/AIDS on individuals families and communities
- Explore community economic development approaches which can mitigate the effects of HIV/AIDS among individuals, families and communities
- Design approaches which can be applied at the community level for sustainable livelihoods among those affected by HIV/AIDS.
Development as a Tool of Conflict Resolution
Monday June 15th to Friday June 19th
8:30 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday
Facilitator: Chris Mburu
Prerequisite: None
This course looks at the underlying causes of conflict and the processes by which conflict escalates. Students examine effective methods for resolving conflict. Case studies are used to examine how cooperation through the implementation of CED efforts is working effectively.
Gender Issues in Community Economic Development
Monday June 15th to Wednesday June 17th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitators: Martin O'Reilly and Catherine Rielly
The organization of decision-making, the division of labor, and resource control by gender are important elements of any community-based development initiative. This seminar will examine the importance of gender in development policies and projects that affect local communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Students will explore how gender analysis can improve the outcome of all community economic development activities.
The course begins with an overview of Women in Development (WID), Gender and Development (GAD), and household models: the neo-classical model, as well as alternative approaches, such as cooperative conflict and bargaining models. Students will learn techniques of gender analysis for project and policy design, implementation, and monitoring and apply them to specific case studies. Small group simulations of project planning in health, agriculture and other sectors will provide students with an opportunity to practice these techniques.
Other course topics include
- Overview of WID and GAD
- Gender-Disaggregated Statistics and Indicators
- Gender Analysis Framework: Project Design and Implementation
- Gender and Refugees
- Gender and Health, with special attention to HIV/AIDS
- Gender-based Violence
- Gender, Poverty and the Economy
Environmental Impact Assessment for CED Practitioners
Thursday June 18th to Saturday June 20th
8:30 AM to 5 PM
Facilitator: Irene Alvarado Van der Laat
Prerequisite: None
It is vital for CED Practitioners to understand the environmental impact of their community interventions --both negative and positive. In response to growing environmental pressures, the analysis of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was developed. The technique is a tool in which organizations and communities identify the impacts of their actions and directly assist in the development of a series of decisions to control, mitigate, recuperate and compensate the negative impacts, while at the same time prevent the development of future impact and start promoting positive ones.
The course is planned to fulfill three basic components: a) a comprehensive environmental analysis that includes the basic aspects of the assessment; b) a broad approach that seeks to ensure compatibility with equitable social and economic development and c) a formal analysis. By the end of the course, we expect the participant to be able to identify, analyze and apply at least one of the EIA methodologies.
The course will include the following aspects of EIA:
1. EIA approaches and limitations
2. Identification of potential environmental impacts
3. Identification of the short and long term effects
4. The project cycle and EAI steps
5. Methodological guidelines for implementation
6. Mitigation and compensation
7. Follow up and monitoring for EAI
8. Case studies (from Costa Rica or Latin America)
On the last day, the class will take a field trip to do a “hands-on” environmental assessment in a local community.