Gender-focused technical assistance (TA) is increasingly recognised as a key driver of women's access to finance. In an ex-post evaluation, OeEB examined the impact of its gender-focused TA interventions at the Jordanian microfinance institution Sanadcom, highlighting their effectiveness in promoting more inclusive financial services.
OeEB's TA project aimed to strengthen capacities at Sanadcom to address the specific needs of women-owned and -managed micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through targeted advisory services, staff training and organisational development.
In the context of learning and scaling its gender focus, OeEB commissioned an ex-post evaluation of this TA project. Kore Global, a Canadian women-led impact advisory firm, implemented the evaluation with the help of a local consultant. The evaluation particularly focused on the TA interventions' contributions to gender finance, organisational capacity development, and improved access to finance for the "missing middle" in Jordan, with a focus on women-owned MSMEs.
Evaluation confirms progress
The evaluation confirms that the project has successfully contributed to raising awareness for gender-specific needs and to initiating changes in products, services and internal practices. At the same time, it identifies further opportunities to deepen gender integration and to translate increased awareness into measurable business outcomes.
Importantly, the evaluation highlights that combining technical assistance with broader investment initiatives – such as OeEB's engagement in Women’s World Banking (one of Sanadcom’s investors) or the SANAD Fund for MSME serving MSMEs in the MENA region – can amplify development impact by strengthening both financial institutions and the ecosystems in which they operate.
Read the full evaluation report here.