Regular and effective monitoring, reviewing and lesson learning are key to how DFID measures the performance of its aid programme and demonstrates Value for Money (VfM).
Regular monitoring and reviewing of project progress, measuring the achievement of outputs/outcomes against performance indicators and targets and revising plans and aims as necessary, are all key processes in managing the project cycle.
Monitoring and reviewing also provide a means of:
DFID records project monitoring data in ARIES. The Head of Department/Overseas Office is responsible for ensuring that all data entered in these reports are relevant, accurate and up to date.
The information captured underpins the calculation of Value for Money and other portfolio quality measures which appear in the Quarterly Management Board Report (QMR), the Autumn Performance Report (APR), the DFID Annual Report (AR) and other corporate reports.
1. Regular monitoring Projects should be monitored regularly to ensure satisfactory progress against expenditure. Checks should be made that the means of verifying progress, as specified in the Logical Framework, are: obtained in a timely manner; indicate satisfactory progress against the resources used and planned timetable; and any problems identified are being addressed.
2. Teams should regularly review the appropriateness and effectiveness of measures to manage risks identified in the Logical Framework and project risk assessment in line with the Guidance on Risk Management in DFID.
3. Project Reviews
Although it is best practice to review all projects, it is only mandatory for projects (including Programme Based Approaches (PBAs)) with an approved lifetime budget of £1 million and above and which are at least one year old to be reviewed and scored annually (i.e. have an Annual Review) and the required information entered in ARIES. These projects will also only be used in the calculation of Vfm.
If an Annual Review is not recorded within one year from the approval date of the project a spending block is applied automatically in ARIES. In certain cases, a Summary Review may be undertaken (see below).
4. A Summary Review may be completed if there is insufficient evidence on which to base an analysis of a project in order to carry out an Annual Review. It gives an extension of a further six months to complete an Annual Review.
5. The relevant Review Form must be completed for each review/completion and the document filed in Quest.
Staff must download and use the Annual Review, Summary Review and Project Completion Report from office templates on Excel (under File>New>Templates on my computer>Project Management>and then select the appropriate form). This downloading must be done each time. Old ones should not be filed and reused.
6. Extracts from the Review forms must also be entered in ARIES to ensure data are captured for DFID wide use.
7. Risk ratings must be included when projects are scored, as the Value for Money (VfM) target requires DFID to assess the success of projects in relation to risk levels.
8. Heads of Department/Overseas Office must ensure the quality and accuracy of the data entered in ARIES. This is in addition to the Reviews and quality checks undertaken by Project Staff.
9. Project Completion Reports (PCRs)
PCR completion, data capture and approval are similar to Reviews (see Compliance Tasks 3 to 6). However a PCR must be completed for all projects including Programme Based Approaches (PBAs) with an approved lifetime budget of £1 million or more no matter the length of the project.
A PCR must also be completed even where DFID is operating as part of a multi donor funded project. Performance reports produced by other partners can be used as the basis for the assessment of project performance.
ARIES will alert Programme Staff when a Project Completion Report is due (three months before the project end date).
10. To close a project, a PCR must be undertaken unless approval is given to either defer the PCR or exempt the project from a PCR.
11. Approval to defer a PCR must be given by the Head of Department/Overseas Office and must only be granted where there is no documentary evidence on which to base an analysis of a project in order to complete a PCR.
PCR deferral will be for 3 months (but can be renewed).
12. Approval to exempt a project from a PCR must be given by Head of Department/Overseas Office and will be rare.
Before seeking approval to exempt a project from a PCR the Exempt justification field must be completed in ARIES.
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