International Development and Programs (Development Work) - International Development and Programs (Development Work)

ADS 203.3.5.2, “Purpose of Data Quality Assessments,” states that the purpose of a data quality assessment is to ensure that the USAID mission staff are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of data, according to five data quality standards—validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness—and are aware of the extent to which the data integrity can be trusted to influence management decisions.

Data reported to Washington for Government Performance and Results Act reporting purposes or for reporting externally on USAID performance must have had a data quality assessment within the 3 years before submission.

USAID missions may choose to conduct data quality assessments more frequently if needed. Managers are not required to do data quality assessments on all performance indicators that they use. However, managers should be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of all indicators.

General Recommendations

• Conduct a data quality assessment of contractor performance indicators.

SOURCE: AUDIT REPORT NO. E-267-11-002-P MAY 16, 2011

The recommendations are derived from audit reports of the Office of the Inspector General. The source refers to the audit report, which is available on this site as part of the Audit Database Project: an educational tool for compliance with USAID regulations.  Please see the disclaimer of this site before using recommendations.