Enhancing Accountability in EU Development Aid: Standard Indicators Implementation

1. OECD World Forum on Measuring and fostering the progress of societies INTRODUCING STANDARD INDICATORS IN EUROPEAN COMMISSION FUNDED PROJECTS FOR THE AGGREGATION OF AID EFFECTS Guy Doucet Operations Quality Support, DG EuropeAid, European Commission Session on use and abuse of indicators, 9 -10.30 am, Thursday 28th of June 2007

2. Objective of the presentation • To introduce the process of promoting a more systematic use of indicators in EuropeAid • To highlight the perceived risks • Provide lessons learnt

3. Standard Indicators - Needs Indicators used now are project specific Standard Indicators are introduced: • to enhance accountability to citizens and Parliament • to obtain a quantified general overview of the effects of aid in a given sector, country or region • to appraise trends over a given period of time • to follow the recommendations of thematic evaluations requesting standard indicators

4. Standard Indicators – Context • The increase of EU development aid • The commitment to enhance accountability (Paris Declaration) • The importance of progress indicators and regular evaluation (European Consensus on Development) • The requirement of annual reports detailing implementation and results(Development Cooperation Instrument regulation) • The new possibilities of co-financing between Member States, other donors and the European Commission (revised Financial Regulation)

5. Standard Indicators - Approach • To go beyond measuring input (financial data: commitments, payments) • To achieve this, we had options for the way forward • Drop the idea – too complicated • Wait – international consensus • Learning-by-doing • The chosen approach is a pilot phase with • A limited number of sectors • An open dialogue • An evaluation after one year • Inform others – open approach

6. Pilot Phase - Coverage • Pilot Phase for projects starting from September 2007 in the following sectors: - Human Development - Good governance - Security, Migration and Asylum - Food Security, Rural Development and Environment - Infrastructure Indicators are all associated to one or more OECD DAC Purpose Codes

7. Pilot Phase – Criteria used for selection • Relevance to the objective • Practices of key donors • Coherent with other indicators (MDG-related…) • Aggregation • Measurable Values with/without project • Applicable to all projects in a given sector • Easily available datasources

8. Pilot Phase – some examples • Road Transport • Rural access • % of road network in good or fair condition • Number of Km maintained, rehabilitated, constructed • Water and Sanitation • % of Population with access to improved water sources • % of Population with access to improved sanitation • Health • Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel • Proportion of 1-year-old-children immunised against measles

9. Pilot Phase – Introduction of indicators in project cycle • Project Identification • Indicators: confirmation of selection (by DAC codes for the project) • Project Formulation • Indicators: Baseline values and values of expected effects calculated • Will initially only cover Ex-ante effects

10. Perceived risks – misleading reporting? Risk: Indicators might give an incomplete picture of the real effect of aid • Small number of indicators & limited sector coverage • Indicators are mainly on output and outcome level • Country/regional context should be taken into account Solution: • Not meant to replace indicators at country or project level • Need to be accompanied by explanations and definitions

11. Perceived risks – Affecting Policies? Risk: Distorting priorities of partner countries policies • Concerns that standard indicators will encourage development of programmes to fit indicators Solution: • Country Strategy Papers are developed in line with partner countries’ strategies • Evaluation will assess the impact of indicators

12. Perceived risks– Additional burden? Risk: Obliging partner countries to set up new monitoring systems Solution: • The majority of the indicators are basic • An evaluation will be done of the compatibility of the standard indicators with the partner countries’ monitoring system

13. Lessons Learnt • Important to begin with a needs analysis and to make the process of selecting the indicators as openly as possible • It is a complex issue – still a lot of scepticism and resistance to change • Never underestimate the time it takes to introduce new schemes • Overlaps with other data collection instruments should be considered • An evolving approach as not everything can be solved before the start of the pilot phase For further information contact: EuropeAid-E-INDICATORS@ec.europa.eu

14. No. of assisted deliveries Total No. of Deliveries DA2 = 2100 2100 1500 With Project A 2000 ΔA1=200 With Project A =Without Proj.A 1300 1200 Without Project A Time Time 2007 2008 2009 2011 2007 2008 2009 2011 Key concepts – calculating the values No. of assisted deliveries (Δ) • Project A in Ghana in Health Sector Indicator: = Increase in % of assisted deliveries due to project Total No. of deliveries

15. No. of Assisted Deliveries Total No. of Deliveries With Project B ΔB1= 600 2500 Without Pr. B DB2 = 3500 1900 3 500 1800 1500 With Project B = Without Proj..B DA2 = 2100 With Project A ΔA1 = 200 3 000 2 100 1300 1200 2 000 Without Pr. A With Project A = Without Pr. A Time 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 Time 2007 2008 2009 2011 2013 Aggregation Key concepts: aggregation • Project A in Ghana (decided in 2008) • Project B in Togo (same decision year 2008)