For those programmes seriously engaged in monitoring their results, the DCED can organise the audit of the monitoring system. It may be possible to conduct the audit remotely, while travel restrictions are in place.
Interested in having an audit? Find out more in the introductory video, audit pass notes, the FAQs and audit reports available on this page.
The short notes below outline key ways to maximise DCED audit scores for each control point, and cover ways in which you may lose points.
- Audit Pass Note 1: Articulating the results chain
- Audit Pass Note 2: Defining indicators of change, other information needs
- Audit Pass Note 3: Measuring attributable change
- Audit Pass Note 4: Capturing wider changes in the system or market
- Audit Pass Note 5: Tracking costs and results
- Audit Pass Note 6: Reporting costs and results
- Audit Pass Note 7: Managing the system for results measurement
Audits are an optional part of the DCED Standard, and offer substantial benefits to programmes that are serious about results measurement. These include:
- Focusing the efforts of programme staff, managers, and the results measurement team on ensuring that the results measurement system meets the DCED Standard.
- Providing credibility to self-reported results, at a relatively low cost. Instead of relying entirely on external consultants to gather data, and write reports, the programme team continues to do that, but the system is audited to ensure that it is operating correctly.
- Bringing recognition from donors, recipient governments, and other agencies as being seriously engaged in results measurement and quality work.
The sequence starts with a conversation between the programme and the DCED Secretariat, to determine whether an audit is appropriate at this point. The conversation can then establish which parts of the system will be audited, and the level of effort that will be required. The programme itself hires a team of two DCED-approved Auditors to conduct the audit. The Auditors currently approved by DCED to lead audits are Alexandra Miehlbradt, Hans Posthumus, Nabanita Sen, Phitcha Wanitphon, Mihaela Balan, Ben Fowler and Muaz Jalil. For more information about them, please visit the listing of consultants expert in the Standard.
Lead Auditors are expert in the Standard and have completed at least two formal audits as part of a DCED team. At this point, and while experience is being gained in scoring the audit, the DCED in addition convenes a panel of all available Auditors to review the draft report and scoring sheets. The commissioning programme needs to add 6 working days to the contract for the lead auditor, to cover the cost of that panel.
The deliverable from the audit is an agreed report, giving percentage scores for achievement of the various elements of the Standard. The report also gives a complete commentary on the basis for the scoring, showing where the programme’s monitoring system is strong, and where improvements are recommended. The Auditors are barred from assisting with the improvement process, but the DCED Secretariat may be able to point programmes towards suitable sources of advice, for example here.
The cost of an audit depends on many factors: size and complexity of the audited elements, how geographically dispersed they are, and even whether the documentation is well organised or not.
The timing of an audit will vary; a formal audit is only appropriate after the monitoring system has been implemented for enough time to gather information on early outcomes, at least. For example, a programme should have a baseline for interventions that are being audited, and some monitoring data for most of them. Without this, there is not much for the auditors to review.
Programmes are normally expected to have an MRM system review (previously known as a ‘mock audit’) of their system before going for formal audit. This identifies areas of potential weakness, that need to be addressed before the audit. It can be conducted by anyone, and the DCED is not normally involved. It therefore has no official status, and is a management tool; it should not aim to score the programme. Much more information on this can be found in Annex 1 of the SDC guide for programme managers. An example can be downloaded here (with thanks to RLDP Tanzania).
The table below lists all programmes to date which have been audited and achieved at least 85% of the ‘Must’ control points (about one quarter of the audits conducted to date have not achieved this score). The Notes column specifies which elements were included in, or excluded from, the audit. Further details of the process can be found in the auditor terms of reference.
The final audit report and score remain confidential to the programme and its donors – unless they wish to publish it. For example, the Enterprise Challenge Fund has published its audit report here. Below you can find audit reports for other programmes that have agreed to make them public. The audit is valid for a period of three years.
| Name of programme |
Country and date of audit |
Notes |
Published Reports |
| PPSE | Kosovo, March 2020 | The audit covered both sectors where PPSE works. | Audit Report |
| PIND | Nigeria, Sept. 2019 | The audit covered the MSD component of PIND, including aquaculture, business linkages, cassava, cocoa and palm oil | Audit Report |
| MDF | Fiji, Nov. 2018 | The audit covered all sectors, excluding 2 older interventions. | Audit Report |
| EP | Ethiopia, April 2018 | The audit covered leather, garments, horticulture and investment sectors; it excluded direct delivery, financial inclusion and some other activities | Audit Report |
| MDF | Pakistan, Oct. 2017 | The audit covered all sectors, excluding 7 older interventions. | Audit Report |
| MOST | Malawi, July 2017 | The audit covered all three interventions in the soy sector. | Audit Report |
| MDF | Sri Lanka, May 2017 | The audit covered all sectors. | Audit Report |
| MDF | East Timor, April 2017 | The audit covered Agribusiness and Greenfields work. | Audit Report |
| ALCP Ajara | Georgia, March 2017 | The audit covered all except 4 of ALCP’s Ajara interventions, and excluded work in SJ and KK regions | Audit Report |
| Samarth NMDP | Nepal, August 2016 | The audit covered 9 of the 10 sectors in Output 1. | |
| PRISMA | Indonesia, May-June 2016 | The audit covered all 25 active sub-sectors. | Audit Report |
| Katalyst | Bangladesh, February 2016 | The audit covered all elements except Capitalisation. | Audit Report |
| Kenya Markets Trust | Kenya, October 2015 | The audit included Inputs, Seeds, Water, livestock and dairy. It excluded cotton and aquaculture. | Audit Report |
| ILO Score India | India, 2015 | The audit only covered the India programme of ILO SCORE. | Audit Report and Lessons from audit |
| MDF | Fiji and E. Timor, Dec. 2014 | Fiji and East Timor reports | |
| GEMS 1 | Nigeria, Nov 2014 | Audit Report | |
| M4C | Bangladesh, Nov 2014 | The audit included the Maize, Jute, Chilli, Onion, Mustard and Groundnut sectors. Transport, Handicrafts, Finance and Rice were excluded. | Audit Report |
| Alliances KK (now ALCP) | Georgia, Jan 2013 | Outcome 3 (Capacity building of local government) was excluded. | Audit Report |
| NMDP | Nepal, Sept 2013 | System in Place audit | Audit Report |
| CAVAC | Cambodia, July 2013 | Business enabling environment and Vegetable markets were excluded. | Audit Report |
| Katalyst | Bangladesh, Feb. 2013 | The audit covered all sectors in Katalyst Phase II that were carried on to Phase III. | Audit report |
| Katalyst | Bangladesh, May 2011 | Audit Report and statement on experience of audit. |
- Sample ToR for an audit (to be edited by the commissioning programme as appropriate)
- Trial protocol for remote DCED audits where site visits are not possible (April 2020)
- Enterprise Partners’ Monitoring and Results Measurement System and DCED Experience, Ethiopia, 2020
- Lessons from audits to date, with Phitcha Wanitphon. Presentation given at the 2016 Global Seminar
- Using the DCED Standard in ILO SCORE, ILO 2015: Discussion paper including five lessons on the use of the Standard and the DCED audit of ILO SCORE India.