International Development and Programs (Development Work) - International Development and Programs (Development Work)

Indicators and targets are important tools for assessing performance in USAID’s results-oriented management philosophy. Indicators, which can be either quantitative or qualitative, are used to measure actual results of USAID activities, whereas targets indicate expected results.

Targets orient stakeholders to the tasks to be accomplished and motivate individuals involved in a program to do their best to ensure the targets are met. Once a program is under way, targets serve as guideposts for judging whether progress is occurring as scheduled and at the levels originally envisioned.

USAID’s Automated Directives System (ADS) 203.3.4.2 states that a good performance indicator should be objective, useful for management, and attributable to USAID or U.S. Government efforts, while ADS 203.3.4.5 states that missions should set performance targets that are ambitious, but can realistically be achieved within the stated timeframe and with the available resources.

General Recommendations

• Implement a standard annual work plan to effectively report and evaluate program performance.

Source: AUDIT REPORT NO. 4-674-11-009-P JULY 20, 2011

The recommendations are derived from audit reports of the Office of the Inspector General. The source refers to the audit report, which is available on this site as part of the Audit Database Project: an educational tool for compliance with USAID regulations.  Please see the disclaimer of this site before using recommendations.