a)The ADFIAP Awards Programme
“Honoring the Members’ Outstanding People and Projects”
The ADFIAP Awards given annually consists of both institutional and individual awards.
The institutional awards, i.e., the ADFIAP “Outstanding Development Project Awards” recognizes and honors member-banks which have undertaken and/or assisted projects that have created a development impact in their respective countries. Awards are given to members, which in the opinion of the ADFIAP Awards Board, have implemented or enhanced outstanding and innovative development projects during the year.
The individual awards consist of two awards, namely, the “Outstanding CEO Award” and the “Distinguished Person Award”.
The “Outstanding CEO Award” is given to a chief executive officer whose singular talent, leadership, vision and achievement, in the judgment of the Awards Board, stands out among the other nominees for the award. Without focusing on the size of the institution, the judges will be assessing the stature of the individual, the positive effect that the person’s leadership has had on his or her institution, and the impact this leader’s decisions have had on the development banking profession, in particular, and on the development of the country, in general.
On the other hand, the “Distinguished Person Award” is a lifetime achievement award given to a person who has, in his or her chosen career, excelled and made a mark in the country or internationally for his or her outstanding accomplishment(s) in the field of development, in general, and in the development banking profession, in particular.
Search and Selection Process
- Members are encouraged to enter themselves for the “Outstanding Development Project Awards” and nominate a person(s) for the ADFIAP “Outstanding CEO Award” and the “Distinguished Person Award”. There is no limit to the number of entries per member.
- All entries will be received and initially assessed by a Steering Committee consisting of the ADFIAP Secretariat’s Information Unit and its Officers.
Rules and Regulations
- Entries for the “Outstanding Development Project Awards” should be those that were implemented or significantly enhanced the year before.
- Supporting materials should be in English. If it is in another language, a translation must be provided. Videos, ads and printed materials are welcome. Please note that these supporting materials will no longer be returned.
Entry Details
- Entry period is from February to the end of March each year.
- Nominations are submitted with complete supporting materials to the Secretariat.
Entry and Summary(ies)
Submission of a 200-300 word summary of the project and its benefits. The same goes for the ADFIAP nominees for the “Outstanding CEO Award” and the “Distinguished Person Award” and his or her accomplishments. These summaries are important elements in the search and selection process.
Categories and Criteria for the Awards
For the “Outstanding Development Project Awards”
Category 1: Human Capital Development. A program or scheme which the member institutionally implemented to enhance the professional capacities and career growth of its officers and staff and/or its clients.
Category 2: Environmental Development. An undertaking that has involved the member and/or its clients in minimizing or eradicating environmental risks and/or in promoting environmental due diligence and management practices in their respective institution and/or client operations.
Category 3: SME Development. A lending program, facility or scheme developed by the member that assisted and/or provided financing access and technical assistance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
Category 4: Infrastructure Development. A project loan program or fund that was designed to develop or improve the strategic and long-term infrastructure facilities in the country.
Category 5: Technology Development. A project, loan facility or funding made available by the member for the advancement of the technological base, know-how, and innovation in the country.
Category 6: Trade Development. A project, financing program or facility that assisted the country in developing, promoting and boosting its trade internationally.
Category 7: Local Economic Development. An initiative, program or facility in a specific area (province, community or village) that was designed and developed to create a favorable environment for business to flourish, to promote their competitiveness, or to create opportunities for new and start-up businesses, be they initiated by external investors or local entrepreneurs.
Category 8: Development Finance-led Poverty Reduction. A program or scheme that used development finance as a tool or instrument to reduce or alleviate poverty in the country.
Category 9: Corporate Governance. An undertaking, a program or project developed, instituted or adopted by the member that advocates, promotes and sustains good corporate governance practices and ideals.
Category 10: Corporate Social Responsibility. A program, project or undertaking developed, adopted and instituted by the member that advances and sustains responsible citizenship for social good.
For the “Outstanding CEO Award”, the criteria includes:
- Must be nominated (including self-nomination) by an ADFIAP member-institution and/or its subsidiaries, institutional partners of ADFIAP and the Association itself;
- Must have been CEO with an ADFIAP member-bank for at least one year; and
- Must prove, through supporting documentation, that his stature, leadership, vision and achievement in managing his institution during the covered year merits the nod of the Awards Board.
For the “Distinguished Person Award”, the criteria includes:
- Must be nominated (including self nomination) by an ADFIAP member-institution and/or its subsidiaries, institutional partners of ADFIAP and the Association itself;
- Must have been associated with an ADFIAP member-bank and/or the Association itself for at least one year; and,
- Must have, in his or her chosen career, excelled and made a mark in the country or internationally for his or her outstanding accomplishment(s) in the field of development, in general, and in the development banking profession, in particular.
b) Country Host Programme
The Country Host Programme is ADFIAP’s way of assisting chief executive officers and senior officers of member-banks in their travel concerns in cooperation with the local host-member. This includes arranging business meetings or appointments and provision of a temporary office/message center while the CEO or senior officer is busy attending to his appointments.
Briefly, this is how it works:
The host country will arrange business meetings or appointments of the visiting CEO or senior officer.
The host country will provide a temporary office/message center while the visiting CEO/senior officer is busy with his appointments.
The host country provides necessary information services needed by the visiting CEO/senior officer to ensure optimum results in his business mission (e.g. airport arrangements/travel advisories/visa requirements/hotel and transportation arrangements/country profile/institution profile, etc.)
The host country may also provide the necessary logistics and coordination in their respective countries. for short-term visiting programs initiated by ADFIAP Secretariat for interested ADFIAP member banks
c) ADFIAP Career Credentialing Programme
The ACCP is a process of accrediting and recognizing the professional competence of a development banker.
The credentialing program covers the professional staff of development banks and financial institutions engaged in the financing of development, of members of ADFIAP, or any other development banking association with which the ADFIAP has a working agreement.
The Asia-Pacific Institute of Development Finance (IDF), ADFIAP’s training and career development center, is the credentialing unit of the Association.
There are three (3) levels of credentials for the professional and managerial staff of DFIs, as follows:
Level 1 – Associate in Development Banking (ADB)
Level 2 – Affiliate in Development Bank Management (ADBM)
Level 3 – Fellow in Development Banking (FIDB)
Mechanics of the ACCP
1. Required Courses
- The first level requires attendance to a training program called the Core Development Banking Course (CORE).
- The second level requires attendance to the Executive Development Program (EDP).
- The third level requires attendance to the Chief Executives Seminar (CEO Seminar).
2. General Requirements
Experience in Banking
- The first level certification requires completion of at least 5 years of banking experience.
- The second level requires at least 10 years of banking experience.
- The third level (Fellow Level) requires at least experience in banking of 15 years.
3. Minimum Educational Requirement
- A University Degree in Economics, Accounting, Business Administration, Banking and Finance or allied fields; or
- A Masters Degree or Post Graduate Qualification in allied fields. A Masters Degree will entitle the candidate one year of relief in required years of experience. A Doctorate Degree entitles the candidate two years of relief in required years of experience.
4. Other requirements
- In case the candidate has attended the programs at other institutions or universities or banks, they will be allowed credits for the program provided the course outline meets the standards covered by the IDF and provided the IDF recognizes the credibility of institution or agency which issued the certificate.
- The IDF has the right to change the compulsory programs and/or modules in order to improve the curriculum and to raise the level of the participating candidates.
- Depending on the need, the IDF will be offering each program in modules or the full program to accommodate candidates who may seek the level certificate in one attempt.
- The credentials will be recognized in ADFIAP member countries.
- Proficiency in English language will be considered an essential requirement.
- If the case warrants, the IDF will require as proof of English proficiency the TOEFL or equivalent exam results. In lieu of this, the IDF may conduct its own test of English language program to determine the desired level of proficiency in English.
- For third level, additional requirements are necessary: attendance in at least two General Assembly Meetings of ADFIAP; or in one CEO Forum organized by ADFIAP; or has written a book or contributed al least three articles on banking to a journal or a newspaper (national or international); or teaches a banking program or serves as a faculty or resource person on banking
5. Credentialing and Registration Fee
Applicants to the ACCP will be required to pay registration, processing, and accreditation fee at the following rates at each level of accreditation; this to cover the cost of administration (paper work, certificate, notices, and other expenses). This excludes tuition fees for the compulsory programs to be attended by the candidates.
6. Requisite Programs
- Level One: Core Development Banking Program (CORE) Modules
- Development Banking Principles & Practices
- Financial & Economic Appraisal of Investment Projects
- Level Two: Executive Development Program Modules
- Bank Strategic Planning and Management
- Organizational and Human Resource Management
- Treasury and Risk Management
- Advanced Financial Management
- Level Three: The Chief Executives Seminar
d) The “Greening of DFIs” Project
The “Greening of DFIs” Project is ADFIAP’s collective & responsive effort to pursue sustainable development through its adherence to the principles of a safe and clean environment, not only as part of good corporate citizenship, but more importantly, as an integral part of sound management practice
The twin objectives of the project are to institutionalize in each DFI, (a) a set of environmental policies & practices approved by its Board of Directors and incorporated to its overall business philosophy; and (b) an officer or unit designated to be the environment “focal point” in each DFI to look after environmental issues & concerns in its day-to-day operation.
The following are some of the tangible accomplishments under the project:
- Survey across membership on their environmental policies, practices and procedures.
- Assisted 11 members in 9 countries to draft their formal written policies for their Boards’ approval.
- Additional 9 members in 8 countries committed to formulate a formal policy approved by their respective Boards.
- The rest of the members enhancing their environmental management systems (ISO 14000, annual reports, etc.)
- Environmental monitoring units/ “pointpersons” in these institutions.
- A bi-monthly publication called “Greenbank” (copy attached) to promote environmental due diligence among ADFIAP members.
- Advocacy of the project in the ADFIAP Newsletter, and website, ADFIAP.org
- Two international seminar-workshops on environmental management and due diligence in banking
With the above “building blocks”, ADFIAP, through a grant from the EU-Asia Pro Eco Programme approved on July 28, 2005, is currently implementing the Environmental Governance Standards for Development Financing Institutions in Asia (EGS), an 18-month, €346,446-grant project that aims to support ADFIAP’s “Greening of DFIs” Project through an EU-Asia Environmental Governance Partnership that leads to the development and initial application of Environmental Governance Standards (EGS) for member-DFIs.
The EGS will consist of the following:
- For the internal application within DFIs, an Environmental Performance Monitoring Program (EPM) that comprises of environmental management policies, tools and instruments which would enable them to manage their internal functions and operations;
- As an external dimension, an Environmental Rating Standards for Loan Appraisal and Project Finance (ERS) as a set of concrete measures for integrating environmental issues in established risk assessment procedures in lending to borrower-clients.
e) The “DFIs for Corporate Governance” Project
The “DFIs for Corporate Governance” Project is ADFIAP’s collective undertaking and commitment to advocate, facilitate, and implement good corporate governance policies and practices in its member-institutions.
The Washington-based Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) has provided the grant to run this project in three phases:
Phase I (July, 2002 to December 2003): Institutionalization of a CG Code in member-banks.
Phase II (February, 2004 – August, 2005): Formulation of a CG Rating System for DFIs and other Financial Institutions
Phase III (October, 2005 – September, 2006): The Compliance Officership Program (COP): Institutionalizing Corporate Governance and Anti-Corruption Practices in Development Banks of Asia & the Pacific
ADFIAP has undertaken the following activities under the project:
- made a membership-wide survey to determine present situation of the member-banks’ corporate governance policies and/or practices;
- organized a regional seminar-workshop in Manila on February, 2003 to develop an agenda for six (6) national workshops and other programs to attain the objectives of the program. The seminar brought together different national experts who designed relevant and sustainable activities on corporate governance;
- organized six national workshops in Malaysia, China, Cook Islands, Mongolia, India and Thailand;
- assisted members in their respective institutions/countries to develop a framework and to sustain their corporate governance policies and programs; and
- promoted the project through its regular publications and website.
- published the Corporate Governance Rating System for DFIs & other Financial Institutions
f) The “Sustainable Finance for DFIs” Project
The Sustainable Finance for DFIs Project funded by Germany’s InWEnt (Capacity Building Internal) is a series of workshops for lending officers of member-banks. As defined, sustainable finance is the provision of financial capital and risk management products that promote and do not harm economic prosperity, environmental protection and social justice. Most development professionals call it the triple bottom line approach to sustainable development.
Development financing institutions (DFIs) have, since their inception, been advocating and practicing this triple bottom line concept. In fact, it has been their mandate ever since national governments in the region set up their own DFIs to take the lead in the sustainable development of their respective countries. However, new issues and challenges have come up with the advent of globalization, financial liberalization, technological advancement, etc. Moreover, a new set of loan officers and managers have joined the ranks of DFIs in the region and they need retooling in this respect.
In July, 2002, ADFIAP, with support from InWEnt and in cooperation with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) conducted a regional seminar entitled, “Seminar-Workshop on Strategies for Financing Lasting Development” in Manila, Philippines. Six (6) countries were selected to be the first group for this “country team” event. These were China, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Fiji and the Philippines. Participants were senior officers of ADFIAP member-institutions responsible in formulating development strategies for them. These officers eventually became the focal persons for the planned above-mentioned national workshops.
With support from ADFIAP’s Indian members – particularly the EXIMBANK of India – the second seminar was held in Mumbai, India on December 10-12, 2003.
Subsequently, ADFIAP has organized three more programs in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Jakarta in 2004 and 2005.
g. The SME Finance Initiative Project
The SME Finance Initiative (SME/FI) is the knowledge and business network that puts together development banks and other specialized financial institutions to dialogue and address specific issues of financing SMEs. The SME/FI will have three main components:
(1) The CEO Forum – the dialogue cum business networking event where chief executives meet and learn from their own experiences as well as from experts of other organizations worldwide.
(2) The SME/FI Portal – the Initiative’s official website and is envisioned to be the “Knowledge Net on SME Finance” that will contain relevant resources (readings, training events, experts, etc. on the subject.
(3) The SME Training & Advisory Center – that covers the required training programs and technical assistance on SME finance to assist members in strengthening their capabilities in SME banking.
The SME/FI was launched with a signing of a tripartite agreement (among ADFIAP, the Association of DFIs in Malaysia – ADFIM – and the International Trade Centre – ITC) in Kuala Lumpur during the CEO Forum on SMEs and was witnessed by Y.B.Tan Sri Nor Mohammed Yakcop, Minister Finance II of the Malaysian government and Ybhg. Datuk Zamani Abdul Ghani, Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, the country’s central bank.
As part of the agreement, the partner-organizations will share responsibilities in realizing the above functions and activities, with ADFIM, ITC and ADFIAP handling the CEO Forum, the SME/FI Portal and the SME Training & Advisory Center, respectively.