This tool was originally developed by USAID and NetHope; however neither party has endorsed or participated in this application of use.
Key Tool: Building Internal Staff Capacity and
Commitment for e-Payments – A Training Checklist
When transitioning from cash to e-payments, internal staff buy-in is a crucial step
along the way to ensuring a sustainable shift. Training staff first also enables an
organization to internally test and pilot e-payment options without the risk of
failure with the project's program participants. Building trust in a new payment
system for program participants who are using it for the first time is vital to
ensure adoption. Therefore, training and socializing staff with the new method of
e-payments should be done before making any external payments. It also helps
identify staff that can become champions and can help to enthusiastically
promote e-payments within the organization.
This checklist draws on the experiences of organizations that have already made
the journey from cash to e-payments. It touches upon key considerations for
fostering staff buy-in and identifies internal payment streams an organization can
use to test and adjust an e-payment product's functionality before using it more
broadly.
Key Staff Roles
To begin, it is important to consider the roles of staff within the e-payment
process. Step 6 of this Toolkit discusses key features of standard operating
procedures for using e–payments. Two categories of staff should be considered
when conducting trainings and issuing payments internally:
1) Staff who need to understand how to disburse the e-payment product selected,
or "Payers" and
2) Staff who need to understand how to request and receive funds via the new
payment modality or "Payees."
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Note: This Toolkit is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United
States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of NetHope and
do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Section 1: Key considerations for training Payers on your
staff
During the service provider selection process, highlighted in Step 5 of this Toolkit,
one of the key questions revolves around the provision of training and
troubleshooting assistance from the service provider. Most service providers will
offer a training session for the Payers on your staff. In this section, the below
checklist helps your organization establish a set of expectations of what the
service provider needs to provide and cover during the training of Payers on your
staff.
Payer Training Checklist
Pre Training Arrangements with the Service Provider
Provide both physical and electronic versions of the curriculum and training
agenda
Provide options for the session to be arranged in a way that enable Payers to
use their own work computers (in person or online through webinars).
If possible, provide a private session and preferably in the Payer's own office
Provide options for the training participants to be pre-registered for the epayment product they are being trained on.
Training Delivered by Service Provider
Provide background on how the e-payments system works
Provide collateral and materials on step-by-step instructions for Payers
Cover basic payment functionalities and user authorities within the system
Provide specific instructions for different user categories. 1) prepare, submit,
and review transactions, 2) authorize transactions 3) reconcile transactions
Review Payer’s standard operating procedures and adjust accordingly to
ensure all trial payments are disbursed according to your organization's process
Conduct live demonstrations during the training session, so participants can
see the process from payment initiation to payment receipt by target Payee.
Review considerations and profiles of the Payees of funds
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Review how your Payers can provide feedback on the functionalities of the
payment product to the service provider
Review troubleshooting procedures with Payers
Review key parts of the service provider's website, such as places to find FAQs
and/or forums
Section 2: Key considerations for training Payees on your
staff
Although most service providers will offer training to the Payers on staff, they
often do not offer training directly to the Payees. Training staff Payees within an
internal roll out of e-payments usually falls on the organization making the
payments. The Payers who just received the training from the service provider
are the ideal staff to conduct this training for Payees. Below is a checklist of
subject matter that an organization, should cover in training Payees on staff.
Payee Training Checklist
Pre Training Arrangements
Provide clear information to all staff that they will be receiving the payment
streams the organization decides to transition (i.e. per diems, travel advances)
through a new electronic means
Provide marketing materials on the service provider’s product to all staff
Ensure that all training participants are registered for the e-payment product
they are being trained on.
Disseminate clear standard operating procedures for submitting a payment
request on the new e-payment system (if the payment request process has
changed)
If possible, arrange for a cash in/cash out agent to attend the training or
arrange a time where the Payees can go to perform a cash in/cash out
transaction
Training Topics Delivered by Payers on staff
Provide background on how the e-payments system works and the ecosystem
players involved
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Provide Payees with a process flow chart for delivering a payment request (if
the process has changed)
Provide Payees with instructions on how to receive a payment, check the
balance on their account, and cash in/out
Explore other functionalities of the e-payment product (i.e. sending money to
others, paying for goods electronically, buying mobile phone airtime, paying
utility bills, accessing savings & loan products, etc.)
Conduct live demonstrations of disbursing e-payments and (if possible)
cashing out and cashing in
Review process for providing feedback (about what to whom?) and the
process for troubleshooting transaction errors, customer service complaints such
as fraud
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