A Year in Review of 34 New and Refreshed Tools at Your Fingertips!
USAID’s policies related to planning, delivering, assessing, and adapting development programming were updated one year ago as part of an effort to streamline implementation processes. Since then, USAID’s Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning has worked to revisit and refresh 34 tools that can help Agency staff and partners with best practices around the Program Cycle.
You can find these tools in the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Collaborating, Learning and Adapting (CLA) toolkits on Learning Lab. While the policy revisions prompted the toolkit updates, the new and improved tools reflect the latest thinking around best practices in these areas. Highlights from these toolkit updates include:
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Monitoring Toolkit | Conduct a Data Quality Assessment (DQA) How-To Note: Revised to include guidance on remote DQAs and the relationship between Performance Management Plans (PMPs) and DQAs.
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Evaluation Toolkit | Evaluation Statement of Work (SOW) Checklist and Review Template: Two tools in one document created to assist in developing and reviewing USAID Evaluation SOWs. The checklist provides a quick guide to understanding the minimal standards for an Evaluation SOW, while the Review Template provides additional criteria for assessing the quality of the SOW during a peer review. Users will find new subsections dedicated to impact evaluation-related policy changes in the Evaluation Questions, Purpose, Data Collection and Analysis, and Deliverables sections of the checklist.
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CLA Toolkit | Adaptive Management Discussion Note: Updated to align with the 2020 ADS 201 changes, in particular the change that projects are now optional. In addition, the discussion note includes clarifying edits and a link to an updated list of relevant resources on ProgramNet.
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CLA, Monitoring, and Evaluation Toolkits | Performance Management Plan How-To Note: Revised to align with streamlined ADS 201 PMP requirements to integrate the contents of the PMP into one cohesive monitoring, evaluation, and CLA plan for addressing learning priorities. In addition, revisions account for Project MEL Plans no longer being required, changes to performance indicator requirements, and changes that allow the PMP to link to other documents or databases.
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CLA, Monitoring, and Evaluation Toolkits | Activity MEL Plan How-To Note and Template: Revised to include a new section for the beneficiary feedback plans requirement that was added to ADS 201. In addition, there is a new section that speaks to the relationship between Activity MEL Plans and other plans (Data Management Plans required by ADS 579 and Quality Assurance Surveillance Plans).
The 2020 policy updates to USAID’s operational model for programming are the result of a productive feedback loop between implementation and policy at USAID. Policy guides good practice and good practice informs policy. Explore the list of updated tools below, and keep that feedback loop strong by reaching out to [email protected] with feedback.
CLA Toolkit
Incorporating CLA in the Procurement Process
Incorporating CLA in Activity Management
How To Note: Country Development Cooperation Strategy Mid-Course Stocktaking
Discussion Note: Adaptive Management
Evaluation Toolkit
Evaluation Toolkit: Conducting An Evaluability Assessment
Evaluation Toolkit: Choosing Between a USAID External or Internal Evaluation
Ex-Post Evaluation Discussion Note
Evaluation Management Process Checklist
Evaluation SOW Checklist and Review Template
Technical Note: Impact Evaluations
Discussion Note: Managing MEL Platforms
Sample Form for Disclosure of Real or Potential Conflict of Interest
Evaluation, CLA Toolkits
Submitting a USAID Evaluation to the DEC
Monitoring Toolkit
Monitoring Toolkit: Data Collection Methods and Tools for Performance Monitoring
Monitoring Toolkit: Performance Indicator Baselines
Template: Performance Indicator Summary Table
PMP Schedule of Performance Tasks and Associated Resources (+ Template)
Additional Help: Data Disaggregation by Geographic Location
Additional Help: Disaggregating Monitoring Indicators
Monitoring Toolkit: Selecting Performance Indicators
Monitoring Toolkit: Monitoring Organizational Capacity Development Efforts
Monitoring Toolkit: CIRS Template
Monitoring Toolkit: Performance Indicator Targets
Discussion Note: Third-Party Monitoring in Non-Permissive Environments
How To Note: Conduct a Data Quality Assessment
Monitoring, CLA Toolkits
How To Note: Planning and Conducting Site Visits
Monitoring, Evaluation Toolkits
Monitoring, Evaluation, CLA Toolkits
How-to Note: Prepare & Maintain a Performance Management Plan