To what extent are the public sector operations financed by the African Development Bank relevant to the current development context? How effective are they at delivering the expected results in a cost-effective and efficient manner and reaching out to all the planned beneficiaries, both women and men?
Have risks during implementation been addressed and mechanisms put in place to ensure the continued flow of benefits after project completion? What lessons can be learned to guide future operations and programming? These are some of the main questions to be answered in the new Project Completion Reports (PCRs).
On September 20, 2012 the Bank's Committee on Development Effectiveness (CODE) approved the new Staff Guidance on Project Completion Reporting and Rating. The new approach was developed by the Quality Assurance and Results Department (ORQR), in close collaboration with the Evaluation Department (OPEV), and involved a Bank-wide reference group and consultation process both at headquarters and in the field offices.
The new approach has taken on board the recommendations from the OPEV evaluation of 2008-2009 PCRs and is also harmonized and aligned with international best practice for self-evaluation. It focuses on the following four key topics: Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency and Sustainability. The performance of the Bank, the Borrower and other stakeholders are also assessed and there is a strong focus on capturing lessons learned.
The new PCR complements and completes the set of quality assurance tools adopted by the Bank to guide project reporting and rating throughout the operational cycle. These tools, focused on results planning and tracking, will now comprise (i) the quality-at-entry standards (QaE) applied through the Readiness Review (RR) during the design phase, (ii) the results-based logical framework (RLF) formulated during preparations to guide results-based monitoring, (iii) the implementation progress and results report (IPR) developed to strengthen quality-at-implementation through evidence-based supervision, and (iv) the new PCR enhancing quality-at-exit through an increased focus on results, risks and lessons learning based on concrete evidence.
A new PCR format has a user-friendly design and will facilitate the systematic compilation of indicators required for Bank-wide results reporting on development effectiveness. Its focus on lessons learned will also contribute to the Bank's knowledge agenda. The new PCR will be applicable to all public sector operations from January 1, 2013.
