For replicability and sustainability, rural credit projects need to include both adequate incentives within the credit and financial structure, for the various levels of credit operations, and a method of passing at least part of the introductory and continuing social and institutional costs to sources outside the project budget.

In Sri Lanka (219 SR), the chances of the project becoming financially replicable and sustainable are good, for two reasons: (i) the interest-rate spread and incentive structure are capable of making the project financially sustainable, and (ii) a part of the institutional and social costs are to be absorbed by the non-government organizations (NGOs), provided the NGOs have continuing incentives for their financial mediation. In Indonesia (215 ID), low overhead development costs per beneficiary (estimated at only US$12 per year, and likely to decline with project expansion) have been obtained. This is because an existing cadre of agricultural extension workers have provided the needed institutional support for the groups at little or no additional cost to the project. This also makes the project easily replicable, because additional groups could be brought under the same staff at no additional cost.

- Whenever possible, existing NGOs that are able to absorb some of the social and institutional costs of group formation, support and financial intermediation should be considered for inclusion in project implementation. The continued existence and participation of the NGO, combined with an adequate incentive structure for continuing these functions is conducive to replicability and sustainability.

- A particular institutional arrangement, whereby an already existing government field cadre is able to undertake a major part of the social and institutional functions of group formation, support and training, with only minimal charges to the project budget, and continue to do so without project support in the future, can also ensure both replicability and sustainability.