Phyllis Wheatley essays

Phyllis Wheatley essays Our American history is composed of a great deal of historical events and individuals. Phyllis Wheatley is one young woman who greatly contributed to history and holds a valuable spot in it. Phyllis Wheatley was born in West Africa, present day Senegal, in 1753. She remained there until she was captured and brought to the American colonies at the age of seven. In Boston, Massachusetts she was sold to a wealthy merchant, John Wheatley, and his wife Susannah. Mary Wheatley, the daughter of the family helped guide Phyllis to learn how to read and write and Phyllis was eventually literate and even knew how to speak Latin and Greek. This was very rare because slaves werent usually offered any type of education. Impressed by her achievements and her clearly evident intelligence, the Wheatleys encouraged Phyllis to continue expanding her knowledge and kept her workload rather light. Soon Phyllis level of education was higher than that of an upper-class colonial man. She was accepted as a member of the family rather than just considered as a slave. At the age of 13, Phyllis wrote her first poem about a tale of two men who came close to dying at sea and their faith in God. The publication of that poem in the Newport Mercury as well as an elegy she wrote about George Whitefield boosted her popularity and credibility. By 1773, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious, and Moral was published in London and included 39 of her poems. Upon taking a trip to England with the Wheatleys son, Nathaniel, she was immediately recognized and caused a sensation. When Phyllis returned back to America after hearing that Susannah Wheatley was very ill, the family she was raised by began to slowly fall apart. Susannah Wheatley passed away the following spring of 1776 and John Wheatley also passed away a few years later in 1778. This granted Phyllis technical freedom and the chance to live her own life. ...

How to Answer the Question Whats Your Desired Job Title

How to Answer the Question Whats Your Desired Job Title It may seem like the most obvious thing in the world: your desired job title on your resume is the job you are applying for†¦ duh, right? Turns out, it’s not quite so simple. It’s true that every time you send your resume in for a job application, you should tailor it to match the position you’re applying for. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should put, verbatim, the job title of the position you’re applying for. Seem counter intuitive? Here are a few things to keep in mind.1. Help the hiring manager out.Remember that your resume is just one of hundreds or thousands the HR department is filtering through. Listing the job title you want at the top of your resume helps them sort you into the right search and get your materials seen by the right people. Don’t leave the hiring manager guessing as to what job you are after.2. Reference your target job.Be a little ambitious and list the position title for the job you really want at the c ompany. Not CEO or anything, but perhaps a rung or two up from the position you might be applying in with. This shows your ambition and your commitment to growing and moving forward- hopefully at this company.3. Reference your old job.Unless you’re trying to move up or laterally or between fields, you might find it easiest to list your current job title. This only really works if you’re going for the exact same job at a different firm or company. But can be very helpful because your experience ought to match the position title perfectly.4. Don’t play it safe by trying to keep your options open.You might think listing a job title on your resume will limit your options- say the company doesn’t have that position open, only one below it? But the risk is much higher if you keep HR in the dark. And you just might get considered for a higher-up position.5. List multiple titles.If you qualify for more than one open position, you might feel the urge to list both. As long as these positions are similar enough- or at least in the same department, with different level gradations, this is fine. Just note, if this is for a resume, write it like this: â€Å"Software Developer/Web Programmer,† separating the two titles with a slash. (If you are really applying widely, try not to apply for two drastically different positions at the same company to avoid having to say: â€Å"Front Desk Manager/CPA.† That just makes it look like you are taking lazy shortcuts and/or don’t know what you want to be when you grow up.6. Be realistic, but strive for the best.Again, you don’t want to list a position three pay-grades away from anywhere you could possibly hope to be. But do set your sights on something a little better than your current position, especially if your skills and experience aren’t far off from reaching that level and you believe you’d be well up for the challenge.

Examine the consequences of the establishment of a system of universal Research Paper

Examine the consequences of the establishment of a system of universal health care - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, there are difficulties ahead. There are two ways to implement a program of universal healthcare. The first is to have the government pay for all necessary healthcare expenses as is done in Canada. This is sometimes called the single payer method. Healthcare is centrally rationed and is available to all by dint of citizenship or residency. This is a good method of delivering the service—even if it is very expensive—but it is hard to implement in a highly developed economy such as the United States'. The second method is to force insurance companies to insure everyone. Normally, insurers don't like people who have preexisting conditions which make them risky. The government can create laws that force them to offer insurance anyway. Usually, the insurers will receive a subsidy to help them out. Before Obamacare passed, many liberals sought a pure public option. But is a public option such a great step forward? With the cost of healthcare rapidly accelerating, it may be too taxing for many countries to implement. Even in Canada, there is an increasing movement towards private clinics (Kraus).

Implementation of Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Implementation of Project Management - Essay Example Founded essentially as an automotive component manufacturer, the company started manufacturing electronic components for the military during the Gulf war. Soon after the Gulf war the company emerged a major component supplier for the space programme and when that business segment did not grow well, the company embarked upon the production of various other items relating to energy management, building products and machine tools in addition to automotive components. With a turnover of $ 600 million, the automotive components manufacture remained the major business activity of Hyten Corporation. The coordination of any new project or a new product from concept to market is the responsibility the ‘Business Development Department’ started to substitute the non-existent project management department. The business development department was taking decisions on the undertaking of any new products or services in a crude way based on macro factors like economic and industry indica tors without really going into the other details of the product or service. The activities of the department were conducted through informal meetings of the functional directors and the manpower for the department was met with people both from within and outside the organisation. With a view to redefine the functions of the business development department as a full fledged project management department Wilbur Donley, with five years experience as a project manager was hired by Hyten Corporation. When the process of establishing the formal project department in Hyten Corporation, there were different ideas and views expressed by the various departments of the company about the implementation of the project management which are summarized below: 3.0 General Observations on the Introduction of Project Management in Hyten Corporation: As a result of the discussion between Wilbur Donley, the project manager, Frank Harrel, the Manger for quality and reliability and George Hub, the Manager of manufacturing engineering the following points about the integration of formal project management in Hytel Corporation emerged: Presently due to lack of coordination among different departments, the marketing and manufacturing departments do not understand and appreciate the functions of the quality department

Unified of the American Constitution Essay Example for Free

Unified of the American Constitution Essay What was the original intent of the U.S. Constitution? Why did Alexander Hamilton want to create a more powerful centralization of federal government? What is the difference between Democratic-Republican and Federalist? Analyzing and resolving constitutional issues was an ongoing process during the eighteenth century. According to Jack Rakove â€Å"†¦ from a historical perspective this book, guidelines, approval around the constitution, form political worries about reviewing in 1780, the Constitution and the clarification of the scope that the debate on the role of the original intent of the constitutional debate should be interpreted to play. † 1 Also Rakove thinks the federal constitution must be developed to address the representatives of the executive power and the rights and constitutional concepts in a way reflecting the highest law. The federal convention or intense political debate followed. Similar to Rakove, some people believed the Constitution could give people clearer rules to tell them what they were supposed to do or not. In addition, the Constitution could also prohibit the government from what they should not do. The government needs to guarantee freedom for people, and what rights belong to people couldn’t be violated. The Constitution also remains above the government; while maintaining above the people, its like a barrier to prevent the government from expanding. The Constitution could guarantee justice and equity for what the government sometimes did, like being secretive, and corrupt, which violates and ignores the Constitution by following the money of corporations, lobbyists, and bankers that are destroying our country, freedoms, economy, and our way of life. It provides a set of hard-fast rules for the creation and perpetuation of a Legislature, an Executive, and a Judiciary Branch. According to Madison, he was the person strongly argued for the central of the government that would unify the country and he was the most important person to write and creation of the Constitution. People call him Father of the Constitution. He thought a representative government suppose governed by those smaller states. The  power should be limited by the Federal Government because those specific areas know what they wanted and had representatives their interests. So the best way to vote was elect representatives was social system, citizens because they lived in same of the territory, it would be easier for them to agree to work together to realize their ideas. The government should protect different rights because through their representative institutions pronunciation sounds more in line with the interests of human society and the decision of the people were subject to their own interests, such as the freedom of speech, religion and the press. Alexander Hamilton believed the new U.S. administration should be divided into three divisions: Congress executive, legislative and judicial powers. 2 The government divided into three sections would provide checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful, and that by working together in three different branches can concentrate power in the state. He also believed that serving the life of good character, or, more precisely, would give stability to the administrative offices on the other hand, that short-term services only encourage politicians to focus on re-election, rather than the rule in this country. Hamilton also thought people should have bicameral: one is upper chamber, called the Senate, including the elite aristocracy of the country, and one is lower chamber, called the General Assembly. Would be the seat of democracy for the American people, Senator Election life’s by the House of Lords and the elected representatives of the elected term of three years. According to George Washington, â€Å"from all classes of Citizens, The reflection on the days of difficulty and danger which are past is rendered the more sweet, from a consciousness that they are succeeded by days of uncommon prosperity and security. One says George Washington was a very passionate, very proud man. In this sense, he was seen as a quiet man. His pride came from a sense of honor. This was reflected in; he would do everything, and He showed humility, when he was appointed commander of the Continental Army s commander in chief, he said he did not think he had the ability to task, but it needed to start with all his strength. He also had a heart of gratitude and sincere attitude. He respected the views of the  Congress; he would make every effort to live up to their expectations. His believed in public service his entire life, if you sport or tooted his horn† to get the job, then you are not eligible to sow themselves. In conclusion, the differences between Jam es Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington were James Madison believed in a limited federal government, and Alexander Hamilton believed in a strong, extensive federal government. George Washington was friends with Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington was also a Federalist, so he believed in a strong central government because George Washington believed that if our nation would survive then we would need a strong government and the government needed rules to go by or they would basically rule over Americans. But they all have their different ways to seeing and saying the same ideas about the constitution in the eighteenth century. On the other hand, the similarity between James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington were having similar ideas about the constitution in eighteenth century. They all want to make the unification of the constitution of U.S. because it can protect all of our rights of its citizens. One could argue about the Federalists was more important than the Republicans because the Federalists make the country more organized and clearer rule for all the people in the U.S. This is the agreement for the most important power of the constitution because the process of drafting and ratification of the Constitution led to the victory of the Enlightenment philosophy: the full definition and addressing social and political issues of integrity and ability of the human rational nature of man and society personalities and beliefs. Indeed, the Constitution itself is perhaps best understood as an Enlightenment document, also because it reflects the target, order, freedom and justice and the general welfare of its preamble and its explicit and implicit promises, the concept of limited government, civil liberties , Church and State, military strength limitations, as well as the separation of an open society.

Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales :: Essays Papers

Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is about an unrelated group of twenty-nine pilgrims traveling together on a pilgrimage. One of the major aspects of the journey is the unique diversity of the characters. There are knights, nuns, monks, lower-class tradesman and single women. They interact together and tell each other their tales. GRAPH According to the Norton Anthology, "Chaucer's original plan for The Canterbury Tales projected about one hundred twenty stories two for each pilgrim to tell on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back. Chaucer actually completed only twenty-two, although two more exist in fragments" (Norton 79). One of the characteristics that makes Chaucer's work so convincing is his ability to present characters that have real life qualities. Many women can relate to the Wife of Bath, and many college students can relate to the Squire with his lady friends. The narrator of the tales is Geoffrey Chaucer himself: but he speaks though a variety of media: "...Chaucer's pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations. The great variety of tales is matched by the diversity of their tellers; tales are assigned to appropriate narrators and juxtaposed to bring out contrasts in genre, style, tone and values" (Norton 79). The opinions about Chaucer as the pilgrim and as the poet are very different. Chaucer the Pilgrim is the narrator of the tales, and he must give an accurate description of what is going on, even if he disagrees with the character's action. First Chaucer the Pilgrim talks about nature and the seasons. He tells us that he is joined by several people on a journey to Canterbury. He talks about all the people involved in the pilgrimage. First he talks about the knight and then Chaucer talks about the knight's son, then the Yeoman, the Wife of Bath, the Monk, the Merchant, and the Clerk. Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales :: Essays Papers Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales is about an unrelated group of twenty-nine pilgrims traveling together on a pilgrimage. One of the major aspects of the journey is the unique diversity of the characters. There are knights, nuns, monks, lower-class tradesman and single women. They interact together and tell each other their tales. GRAPH According to the Norton Anthology, "Chaucer's original plan for The Canterbury Tales projected about one hundred twenty stories two for each pilgrim to tell on the way to Canterbury and two more on the way back. Chaucer actually completed only twenty-two, although two more exist in fragments" (Norton 79). One of the characteristics that makes Chaucer's work so convincing is his ability to present characters that have real life qualities. Many women can relate to the Wife of Bath, and many college students can relate to the Squire with his lady friends. The narrator of the tales is Geoffrey Chaucer himself: but he speaks though a variety of media: "...Chaucer's pilgrim narrators represent a wide spectrum of ranks and occupations. The great variety of tales is matched by the diversity of their tellers; tales are assigned to appropriate narrators and juxtaposed to bring out contrasts in genre, style, tone and values" (Norton 79). The opinions about Chaucer as the pilgrim and as the poet are very different. Chaucer the Pilgrim is the narrator of the tales, and he must give an accurate description of what is going on, even if he disagrees with the character's action. First Chaucer the Pilgrim talks about nature and the seasons. He tells us that he is joined by several people on a journey to Canterbury. He talks about all the people involved in the pilgrimage. First he talks about the knight and then Chaucer talks about the knight's son, then the Yeoman, the Wife of Bath, the Monk, the Merchant, and the Clerk.

Mis in Microfinance

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR MICROFINANCE| ABSTRACT ICT can be a strategic tool in making Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) more efficient and effective. MFIs can reach more people in a more economic way by implementing the right Management Information System (MIS). While a few MFIs are making good use of technology, the majority are facing difficulties in getting the right solution. Reasons for this include: * Insufficient organizational and human capacity * Unavailability of suitable MIS applications for microfinance * Diversity in business processes and frequent changes in procedures * Risk of failure of the MIS Diversity of geography and language * Unavailability of vendors and their capacity to implement and support IT solutions * High cost of IT solutions for MFIs * Lack of commitment of management and key decision-makers within an MFI * Lack of awareness about the importance of IT The back-office MIS is the backbone of any Information System solution and yet it has not rec eived much attention. MFIs, whether large or small, need to have a strong back-office MIS before attempting to deploy any advanced front-end applications or delivery channels.These would be worthless without having a strong and flexible back-office MIS in place. INTRODUCTION Management information systems (MIS)  have played a key role in the traditional banking sector for years, but microfinance institutions have been much slower to utilize this technology, primarily due to budgeting shortfalls. A  2009 CGAP survey   found that many microfinance institutions lack well-functioning information systems that would enable them to grow into vigorous institutions. Technology was consistently cited as one of the greatest challenges facing MFIs.Over the last several years, however, more and more MFIs have begun implementing information systems, which has the potential to provide several benefits to the industry as a whole and to MFIs in particular; ranging from loan tracking to greater transparency and risk management. Management information systems are essentially applications which enable an institution to better organize its data for the purposes of decision-making, efficiency, and external reporting. Rather than hidden within a pile of manila folders, the data is crisp, up to date, and presented in a compelling and practical form.Benefits include easier cash-flow management and forecasting, timely information regarding portfolio risk, real time performance updates, more efficient accounting procedures, and simplified external reporting. In sum, a good MIS can increase an organization’s efficiency and decrease its operating costs. The biggest hurdle to the utilization of such technologies among MFIs has been the prohibitively high cost of purchase and implementation. The CGAP survey found that a majority of MFIs use either custom-built or off-the-shelf systems to track their portfolios.But a new innovation,  SaaS  (Software as a Service), has been c hanging that. Typically the SaaS software vendor hosts the application on its web servers, which the customer can download on his mobile device or computer terminal on an on-demand basis. This system provides MFIs 24/7 access from anywhere in the world, real time information, data security and automatic backup. With an SaaS system an organization pays monthly â€Å"rent†, or in some cases a variable fee based on usage levels, for access to the software provider’s application.Instead of â€Å"buying† the software and using it in isolation, the purchaser gains access to the provider’s online cloud, and utilize the internet to deposit, organize, and access their information. With this changed cost structure, more and more MFIs have been able to integrate MIS into their organizational structure. SaaS technology is designed to serve international microfinance networks, such as Opportunity International, as well as national MFI branches, such as  Cresa Financ ial Services in India. Accordingly, SaaS services are emerging as the MIS model of choice for microfinance institutions.Difficulties in Adopting MIS A number of MIS solutions are emerging. Currently, there are 56 MIS applications listed on the CGAP website, although more are being used by various organizations that are not publicized. Despite the advances in MIS, practical experience shows that the acquisition of a suitable MIS is not simple. Many MFIs are struggling with their MIS. Some of the reasons for these difficulties are: * Microfinance operations are unique and complex, compared to commercial, retail banking. The Microfinance sector is still evolving and lacks standardization in its procedures, methodologies, customer characteristics, type of transactions and reporting. * There is no of-the-shelf software available that can address the requirements of every MFI. * Those MIS that are available are complex and costly for adoption by MFIs. * MFIs lack human and organizational capacity to develop or select an appropriate MIS. * MFIs operate in remote and difficult areas where communication and power infrastructure do not exist and are therefore constrained from using IT equipment required to run MIS applications.Outlook of MFIs It is evident that the MFIs around the world are diverse in their structure and practices. Following are some of the factors that differentiate MFIs from each other: 1. Type of organization: * NGO * MFI (non-regulate) * Regulated MF Institution * Microfinance banks 2. Type of Products and Services: * Minimalists (those who offer only credit services) * Loans as well as savings services * Full range of products (including loans, deposits, remittance, insurance, leasing and social services) 3. Organizational Structure: * Branch setup (small, medium and large) Staff structure * Departments (cost centre and profit centre) 4. Geography: * Area specific (operations are limited to a small area) * Country specific (operations are spread ov er an entire country) * Global operations (operating in multiple countries) 5. Operational Environment: * Rural areas * Urban areas * Other 6. Processes and procedures: * Models (associations, cooperatives, credit unions, Grameen, etc. ) 7. Regulatory environment 8. Reporting: * Management reporting * Stakeholder reporting * Microfinance networks and peer group reporting Information Systems used by MFIsThe microfinance sector is also quite diverse in its use of information systems. Generally there are the following three types: 1. Manual System Some MFIs still rely on manual systems, which involve maintenance of records in forms and ledgers. Organizations having manual systems are either small micro-credit programs or NGOs. 2. Semi-automated System More than 50% of MFIs are operating in a semi-automated mode. Within this category, the spreadsheet is the common tool being used either in conjunction with a manual system or with an MIS application that does not fulfill the information requirements of the MFI.The majority of non-regulated MFIs have semi-automated systems. 3. Fully Automated System Few MFIs are fortunate enough to have a fully automated and integrated MIS, fulfilling the whole information requirements of the organization. Such systems are existent with banks or regulated MFIs. Disadvantage of manual systems: Some of the disadvantages of manual Information Systems are: * Too laborious and time consuming. * Prone to Errors. * Data manipulation and analysis is very difficult. * Maintenance of large amount of data is almost impossible. * Data and information is not secured. Loosely controlled. * Highly inflexible (addition of new products and change in business processes). Benefits of computerized MIS to Microfinance There is no doubt that â€Å"the right information† at â€Å"the right time† at â€Å"the right place†, is crucial in decision making. Therefore, information and data is considered among the most valuable assets fundam ental to the success of an organization. The primary roles of the MIS are to capture information, create new information, store information, and convey information to the user. The two major objectives of MFIs are Outreach and Sustainability.MIS can add substantial value in achieving both the objectives: * A major advantage of MIS is that it provides easy access to accurate and up-to-date information. For example, loan officers get information on loans that need follow-up, branch managers can monitor daily progress of the branch, and senior management can get a full picture of the portfolio performance and quality. Customers also get quick information on their accounts, payments and balances. * Detailed information is captured on customers and their activities that can then be used to assess client business to assess impact.It is also useful in tracking historical information of clients. * Activities, such as disbursements, repayments, deposits, withdrawals and money transfers are c ompleted faster, better controlled and with minimum opportunity for errors. * Information is produced in user-required formats, which facilitates better understanding, setting priorities, objectives and strategy. * Key performance indicators provide an overview of the organization’s performance, efficiency and effectiveness of business procedures so that timely adjustments can be made. * Use of ICT helps make MFI services more interactive, accessible and transparent. In terms of innovation, ICT provides full flexibility to structure products and services to the needs of its target group. * Efficiency and productivity of staff is increased, as they are able to manage more products, customers, and transactions in less time. Integration and Consolidation With the growth and advancement of the microfinance industry, new innovations are being witnessed. Among these innovations, technology-based delivery channels and mechanisms are creating opportunities as well as intensifying the competitive environment for MFIs.These channels are not only targeted at lowering transaction costs and extending the reach of MFIs to large populations, but are also focused around customer convenience. These technology-based mechanisms enhance efficiency of the MFIs, while posing substantial challenges in managing such technologies. One of the main challenges is that of integration and consolidation. It is essential that the back office MIS has the flexibility to integrate with such systems. The back-office MIS has received little attention within the sector.The general perception is that new technology based delivery systems would easily integrate with the core MIS, whereas in reality it is not that simple. Examples show that MFIs that have adopted such systems without assessment of their core MIS are struggling to integrate these. Because of non-integration, MFIs fall back on electronic spreadsheets or manual procedures to prepare consolidated information. Integration and conso lidation are very important for MFIs and inability to integrate new technological innovations holds them back, making them less rather than more efficient.Back-office MIS â€Å"Starting Point for MFIs† The backbone of any Information System (IS) is the core MIS as it holds the critical data, and manages the information. All other systems are add-ons. A simple core MIS comprises of two parts: I. Database – data structure; an organized set of tables designed to the needs of the business. All data of the organization resides in these tables. ii. Application Software – comprises of the user interface, business processes, procedures, reports and queries. Fig 1: Core MISAdopting an MIS is strategically important for MFIs. They need to undertake a careful and detailed assessment of current and future needs before committing to a particular solution. Much of the system’s flexibility, expandability, and robustness depend on the strength of the backend components. Strong core MIS can deliver cost-effective integration of data, channels and processes, facilitating a single consolidated view of the whole portfolio. Core MIS can provide easy data entry for the backend database, making consolidation easy to achieve.Various studies reveal that a large number of MFIs operate manual systems despite having some kind of MIS in place. One of the reasons the MIS does not cope with the changing needs of the organization is that the backend does not have the right structure. It is important for both the MFIs and microfinance software vendors to concentrate and strengthen the Core MIS. Figure 2 shows a basic structure for the Core MIS for microfinance: Fig2: Core MIS for Microfinance Other Key Deciding Factors for IT SystemsWhile the MIS needs to fulfill the business requirements of the organization, but other factors including appropriate infrastructure and hardware are also important in the success and optimal utilization of information systems. We can c ategorize the components of an information system solution into five areas: 1. Physical Architecture (Electricity/Power & communication infrastructure) Physical architecture consists of basic wires or cables to gateways and powerhouses.Together with buildings, offices, and computers, the architecture provides services of voice, data, image and video transmission while the consistent power supply keeps everything live and running. Every system needs electric power, and if systems are required to communicate, then there must be an appropriate communication infrastructure. Usually MFIs operate in remote and underdeveloped areas where this is lacking. 2. Network Three types of environment setups could be made. i. Standalone Environment; MIS is run on individual PCs and data is stored locally. ii.Local Area Network (LAN); PCs are connected together to create a LAN. The network can be either peer-to-peer or client/server. Desirable is the Client/server network where data is stored and sha red through a server in a secure way. iii. Wide Area Network (WAN); Branch offices and operation units can be connected through a WAN. It requires proper communication infrastructure and involves high cost to establishing a WAN. For online systems WAN is critical. 3. Hardware Type of hardware depends on the network environment. A client-server environment requires server and switch for connecting the workstations / PCs. . Database Generally databases can be categorized as local and client-server. Each category has its own strengths and weaknesses. These details can help MFIs in selecting the appropriate database: i. Local databases there are a number of local databases but the most widely used databases are Microsoft Access, FoxPro, Paradox, and file maker. ii. Client/Server databases iii. Most popular client/server databases also called enterprise databases include; Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Myself, Sybase, and Informix are some of the commonly used client/server databases: 5. Appli cationA combination of business processes and procedures, user interface, reports and controls operate on top of the backend system. A large variety of software development and report generation tools are available and used to write software applications. Getting the Right Fit MFIs face great challenges in choosing the right system solution that can best fit their business needs. An MIS for microfinance must have the following characteristics: 1. Cost effectiveness: Total ownership and lifetime system operations costs, including hardware, software, network, infrastructure and human resource. . Functionality & flexibility: Fulfill maximum of the current business requirement and flexible enough to incorporate future changes. Capture and generate relevant information on an individual, group, and at a consolidated level. 3. Reliability: Incomplete and unreliable systems are dangerously risky and can hamper the business. Such systems do not produce the right results and are unable to com plete processes to the desired level. Users could be misguided by such systems. 4. Simple to use: Should be user friendly and easy to setup and operate.Activities can be performed in a systematic way and flow. 5. Scalability: System should accommodate changes to products, services and delivery channels. It should grow as the business grows. For example, if the system design is scalable, it can be run on an individual PC, Local Area Network (LAN) or Wide Area Network (WAN). 6. Integration: Combining data from multiple sources is of great importance to microfinance. Integration of branches to get single consolidated picture should be a priority. Challenges faced by MFIs * Microfinance is a rapidly changing industry. Due to the ongoing volution of the industry, MFIs face difficulty in defining business objectives, needs, priorities and limitations for acquisition of an MIS solution. There is lack of standardization within the microfinance sector, and business practices of MFIs differ f rom each other. Consequently, software developers face problems in coming-up with an MIS that can be used by most of the MFIs. Common failures are due to ill defined business process and procedures. * There is a shortage of skilled professionals who can understand technology as well as the microfinance industry, and be able to suggest the right solution.Such professionals can act as a bridge in filling the gap between use of ICT and microfinance operations * Majority of the MFIs do not have the technical capacity and required resources to understand, adopt and implement MIS solutions. * Most MIS solutions are not affordable to the majority of MFIs. * In some cases there is a lack of vision and commitment from the management towards use of technology * Integration is becoming one of the big challenges, as most of the MIS solutions for microfinance are built on weak platforms, thus not being flexible and scalable enough to integrate with emerging technologies and delivery channels.Rec ommendations: * FMFB’s experience of adopting technology suggests that MFIs should invest in relevant technologies after thorough and careful assessment of their requirements. The requirement should be addressed in perspective of current needs and future plans. * So far the core MIS of MFIs has been neglected. MFIs should get their core MIS right before opting for any kind of delivery system. * The software industry needs to do more in developing quality software for microfinance sector. * Capacity within institutions to manage technology is key to successful implementation and operation of its MIS.MFIs should employ skilled IT professionals on their staff. * MFIs must adopt MIS solutions that not only meet their needs but are also manageable by the MFI from all aspects. In some cases small and medium size MFIs go beyond their needs in adopting an MIS that ultimately becomes a drain on their resources. Such systems reduce the organizations overall efficiency and ultimately th eir sustainability. * MFIs can get maximum benefit by investing in technology, and putting in a better MIS solution that works for them. MIS is a strategic investment for MFIs. *Progressive policies that make ICT accessible and affordable to the majority of the population are important for encouraging the use of ICT within microfinance and for the development of the microfinance sector. Conclusion The use of ICT can rightfully be to the strategic advantage of MFIs. Innovations in ICT have transformed traditional approaches to microfinance, facilitating growth and reducing cost. Some of the players have already started getting the benefit by using MIS and similar IT solutions, while the majority of the MFIs have yet to realize the importance of its use to achieve outreach and sustainability.The implementation of the right MIS still remains a big challenge faced by MFIs. Efforts are also made from various corners of the world in overcoming these challenges. CGAP’s Information S ystem Support is a prudent initiative to assist MFIs in getting access to ICT, aligning their MIS and using the appropriate IT solution. One of the realizations is â€Å"first things first† i. e. having an appropriate core MIS first before other systems: keeping in mind the strategic importance of ICT to the microfinance industry, renewed efforts are required from all the stakeholders to overcome the challenges faced by the microfinance industry in taking on IT.References: – Cheryl Frankiewicz and published by CALMEADOW (2003). IT as a Strategic Tool for Microfinance in Africa – ADB Releases (2005). Pakistan Economic Update – Rao, M (2004), Microfinance & ICTs: Exploring Mutual Benefits and Synergy, Orbicom – Firpo, J. (2005), Championing Scale in Microfinance: Technology’s Role in Delivering Accessible Financial Services to the Poor