ADS chapter 203 : assessing and learning

(See ADS 201 and 202). This chapter provides guidance for USAID Operating Units ? USAID Missions, Regional Platforms, and Washington Bureaus and Offices, henceforth referred to as USAID Mission/Offices, on Agency practices and standards used to determine how well AOs are achieving their intended results. It describes: (1) how AO Teams collect and use both quantitative and qualitative performance information to manage for and report on results; (2) how to use the tools of performance monitoring and of evaluation to promote learning and strengthen future performance in achieving intended development results; (3) how processes such as Portfolio Reviews and preparation of the annual joint U.S. Government (USG) Operational Plan (OP) and the annual joint USG Performance Report assess AOs and contribute to performance analysis and learning at the Bureau and Agency levels; (4) how to understand the factors that may be limiting progress made in achieving targeted results and the kinds of actions needed to optimize the achievement of targeted results; and (5) how USAID should facilitate the sharing of lessons learned within the Agency, with other USG foreign affairs organizations, and throughout the development community as a whole. The key concept throughout this chapter is that USAID Missions/Offices can only assess the impact of an AO if they have previously defined the results that the AO is intended to achieve, how the various proposed outputs should work together to achieve the desired results, and how these outputs and results will be measured. (Author abstract, modified)