USAID project evaluation system : value management/value engineering study

This is the main conclusion of the USAID Value Management/Value Engineering (VM/VE) team that performed a test case on project evaluation to determine how applying VM/VE principles can improve management and reduce costs. The VM/VE team, made up of five direct-hire USAID employees led by a contractor, Certified Value Engineering Specialist (CVS), identified four specific recommendations: (1) The Policy Planning Committee should (PPC) incorporate the following into the Program Management and Evaluation (PM&E) directives: (i) re-design the mid-term evaluation process to focus on efficiency; internalize the effort to utilize the partnership team; and emphasize formative, informative, and informal communications; (ii) re-design the final review process to evaluate the project results package, review only selected groupings of activities, and disseminate findings on electronic bulletin boards and at biannual seminars. (2) USAID should initiate VM/VE training. (3) PPC should include the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Inspector General (IG) into re-engineering and VM/VE efforts. (4) USAID should obtain OMB approval to fund U.S. Direct Hire (USDH) employee evaluation participation using project funding. (Author abstract)