Introduction to ethical finance and credit intermediation
International finance and development
Microfinance institutions (MFIs): types of existing organizations, approaches and methodologies used, services offered
Basic elements of balance sheet analysis, sustainability assessment and MFI rating
Reflections on: Microcredit in advanced economies, new frontiers of microcredit, microcredit and digital disintermediation
Recommended texts:
Microcredit: L.Becchetti, Il microcredito, ed mulino (2008)
Ethical finance and microcredit: U.Biggeri, G.Ferri, F. Ielasi, Finanza Etica, Ed. Il Mulino (2021)
Additional texts:
Ledgerwood J. (1998), Microfinance Handbook: An Institutional Financial Perspective, Sustainable Banking with the Poor, World Bank, Washington D.C. In particular: Products and services - chapter III Loan products - chapter V Savings products - chapter VI Budget adjustments - chapter VIII Performance indicators - chapter IX excluding VII and X It can be found at the Library of Social Sciences or downloaded from the World Bank Publications.
Microcredit in Italy: Alessandro Messina: FARE IL MICROCREDITO. Manuale per l'operatore editrice bancaria 2015
Learning Objectives
Provide general elements of financial intermediation with regard to ethical finance in Italy and in the world. Provide an overview of the interconnections between finance development and sustainability issues. Understanding the mechanisms that determine non-bankability and therefore microfinance methods. Go into the details of the operation of micro-credit and the management of microfinance institutions Give a general picture of the changes that will take place in finance and social and sustainable finance
Prerequisites
skills in the field of financial intermediation are useful but not mandatory
Teaching Methods
frontal lesson, use of group activities and multimedia tools
Type of Assessment
oral exam on the program of the course summarized by the slides that are delivered after each lesson
Possible written exercise for students attending in person
Course program
Ethical Finance
• Basic elements of Finance management and ethical finance: “savings’ social function”, non financial performance and reporting, loans and correlated risks, risk management, reputational issues.
• A short review of socially oriented finance in history: development of financial tools, ethical dilemmas.
• Finance and global challenges: which connections, international rules, tax heavens
• Definitions of ethical sustainable and responsible finance
Banking
• Banking on values: a consumers and institutional approach
• Methods for evaluation of environmental and social impacts.
• Embedding ethics and finance in the heart of banking: governance, policy, process, controls managing, operation.
• Participatory issues and cooperative model in banking
• Definition of ethical Banking in Italian banking law (art 111 bis TUB)
• Examples and figures of ethical/sustainable banks.
• International initiatives and networks
Microfinance
• Unbankables: who where why, credit as a Human right?, Relational (non economic) guarantees and their values.
• Microfinance institutions (MFI): different kinds of MFI, MFI’s methodology, services offered, loans design
• MFI economic sustainability: costs and incomes management, credit quality, performances indicators and measurements, stakeholders engagement
• MFI information sources: international rating, certifications, web database
• Microcredit in Europe: differences respect to emerging countries, costs, role of guarantees funds, public support.
• International network on microcredit, microcredit investment fund
New developments on social finance
• Eu policy on social economy (FEI, EU programs)
• Social impacts bonds
• Complementary currency: general theory and examples (Sardex Italy, WIR Switzerland)
• Microcredit 2.0 on the web
• P2P lending
• Payment system
Sustainable Development Goals 2030
Ethical finance: Can assess the impacts on all 17 goals
Microfinance: It focuses more on social or work-related goals
1: Zero Poverty
2: Zero Hunger
3: Good health and well-being for people
8: Decent work and economic growth
10: Reduce inequalities