Institution Building has always been a primary focus of RGVN.  RGVN through its various Programmes has built institutions in remote and inaccessible places.  Building up institutions has been one of the challenging work of RGVN which involves a lot of investment both in terms of time and money and also the risk of failure.

Credit and Savings Programme (CSP), the micro finance retail programme of RGVN which started as a pilot project in 1995, is now on the verge of being transformed into an NBFC.  Credit and Savings Programme which operates in the North-East is now capable enough to have an independent identity and stand on its own.

Another institution built up by RGVN is UMaSS in Orissa. During 2005, RGVN hived of its micro finance retail programme in Orissa into a cooperative christened as UMaSS situated at Bhejiput, Ganjam district, Orissa. UMaSS was established and registered as a state level cooperative under Orissa Self Help Cooperative Act, 2001. RGVN donned the mantle of promoter of UMaSS and has been continuously working towards strengthening the institutional capacity of the Cooperative with all possible financial and managerial support. With active guidance and facilitation by RGVN, UMaSS is slowly establishing itself as a community owned, community managed sustainable institution in the state of Orissa.

Apart from these two independent institutions, RGVN has provided handholding to a number of small NGOs/CBOs in various parts of East and Northeast India.  RGVN has also developed a grading tool called RGVN Institutional Development Index (RIDI) to identify the stage in the institution development process. RGVN Institutional Development Index (RIDI) includes 25 parameters to evaluate and grade NGOs.  The parameters takes into account the – vision, mission, strategy; governance; organization structure; NGO infrastructure; manpower quality; financial systems; target & reach; and community relationship/rapport.  Based on the total score, each NGO is rated as – A+ (Excellent); A (Very Good); B+ (Good); B (Above Average); C+ (Average); C (Below Average); D (Poor).

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