What is APMAS?

APMAS is a support institution that is committed to quality in Self-Help Banking. Registered in 2001 as a non-government public society, APMAS has already been recognized as a pioneering support organization in the field of Self Help Group Promotion. We aim to meet the needs of the various stakeholders involved in the promotion of member-owned and member-managed microfinance institutions. Our Board consists of 21 representatives from government, apex financial institutions such as the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Non Government Organizations(NGOs), and Self Help Group Federations. Our main focus is on quality assurance in self-help banking, specifically on rating and on capacity building of federation and project staff. We work in 11 districts and 96 sub-districts of Andhra Pradesh and have expanded into five other states . APMAS strives for its own viability by offering its services on a fee-paying basis; about half its resources are derived from fees, the other half from grants.

APMAS has developed instruments of quality assessment and quality enhancement of the federations, which have thereby enabled the provision of essential guiding, book-keeping and auditing services to the SHGs. As a support organization, the core business is to build the capacity of the governmental and nongovernmental implementing institutions to apply the quality assessment and quality enhancement instruments. The overall qualitative and quantitative impact of APMAS is substantial. APMAS has built a reputation as an institution that ensures quality and quality-based progress in self-help banking, and is widely respected as such. The total number of participants directly trained by APMAS up to March 2006 is 31,177, including 2,686 staff members of government institutions ; the total number of trainees reached indirectly through institutions and facilitators trained by APMAS is 293,560.

All Staff Meeting Presentations

Organization Chart

APMAS Brochure

Program Support staff