Microfinance, Eu Structural Funds and Capacity Building for Managing Authorities ― A Comparative Analysis of European Convergence Regions

In recent years, the European Commission has attached increasing importance to the use of financial engineering instruments rather than traditional grant-based financing for the microcredit sector, considering these to be the most efficient option available.

This book presents a study of capacity building and structural funds in public managing authorities for the microcredit sector. It presents two surveys to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the managing authorities' capacity building. The first survey investigates the authorities' need for and interests in capacity building activities, analyses the areas in which capacity building support is needed, and explores the different types of support offered.
The second survey analyses the results of the microcredit and microfinance programming activity, exploring its target groups and other operational features. It investigates the key monitoring and reporting issues involved in this activity, before analysing the regulatory framework of the microcredit and microfinance sector.

This book presents an in-depth analysis of structural funds and their management by policy-makers in the European convergence regions. It explores the interests of managing authorities, microcredit institutions, operators and other financial intermediaries involved in microcredit programming activities, and offers some core strategic and operational recommendations for the use of structural funds in the microcredit sector.

Giovanni Nicola Pes is Head of the President's Office and Director of the Planning and Research Department at Ente Nazionale per il Microcredito (National Italian Agency for Microcredit), Italy. He is Director of the European 'Capacity Building' Project for the Public Administration and is President of the 'Consumer Credit, Microcredit and Structural Funds' Committee of the 'National Association for the Study of Credit Issues'. He has held office in the capacity of Manager and Consultant with international organizations among which the International Organization for Migration (OIM) and the International Management Group (IMG). He was also Chief Editor of the Microcredit and Development Policies Observatory of the journal 'Microfinanza'. He contributes articles to various specialized journals.
Giovanni Nicola Pes graduated with honours in Political Science from the University of Cagliari, Italy and the Sorbonne University, France. He holds a Master's Degree in European Political Studies obtained jointly at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Rennes, France and the Centre for European Studies of Exeter University, UK. He obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development at Cardiff University, UK and specialized in Microfinance at the Boulder Institute, World Bank.

Pasqualina Porretta is Senior Lecturer of Banking and Finance at 'Sapienza' University of Rome, Italy, where she teaches risk management in bank and insurance and derivatives. She is a member of the academic board for the PhD in management, banking and commodity science at 'Sapienza' University of Rome. Her main research interests are risk measurement and management (credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, counterparty risk), capital regulatory framework, financial derivatives, credit guarantee institutions and microcredit. She acts as consultant and trainer for various financial intermediaries, microfinance institutions, public entities and consulting firms.