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This report describes the findings of an ex-post evaluation of the Expanding Financial Inclusion (EFI) program, delivered by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and implementing partners in Burkina Faso, Senegal, Zambia and Uganda, from 2013 to 2017. Within EFI, Private Service Providers (PSPs) form and support Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC), providing the opportunity for vulnerable families to access easy, safe and regular opportunities to pool their savings, make loans to each other and earn dividends.

The evaluation aimed to assess the extent to which the PSPs and SILC groups were still functioning 19 months after the program end, and the extent to which the PSP model has contributed to the sustainability of activities and results. It addresses the following questions:

1. To what extent is the PSP model still functioning after support has been withdrawn, and the project has closed?
2. To what extent does linking with other stakeholders (social enterprise, government, etc.) influence the sustainability of the PSP model?
3. To what extent, and in which ways, have PSP networks continued to operate after the end of the project?
4. How has the value for money of the PSP model evolved since the end of the project lifetime, with specific analysis of cost-per-member?