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.
- The Reliability of Performance Data Is Unknown - ADS 202.3.6 - USAID’s Performance Management Toolkit
- Reporting on Key Indicators Needs to Be Improved - ADS 203.3.5.1
- Performance Targets Were Not Disaggregated by Gender - ADS 200.5
- Performance Indicators and Targets Are Inappropriate Measures of Program Progress - (ADS) 203.3.5.1 - ADS 203.3.4.5
- Inaccurate Performance Data Reported - ADS 203.3.2.1 - ADS 203.3.5.1 - Government Performance and Results Act of 1993
- Late Submission of Performance Management Plan - ADS 203.3 - 203.3.3.1 - ADS 203.5.1
- Some Main Indicators Were Not Included in Monitoring Plans - ADS 203.3.2 - ADS 203.3.8.3
- Outdated Results - ADS 203.3.5.1
- Missing Baselines, Targets, and Cumulative Results - ADS 203.3.4.5
- Performance Measurements Did Not Reflect Project Impact - (ADS) 203.3.4
- Performance Management Plan Was Not Current, Not Realistic, Not Aligned With Implemented Projects, and Not Used - ADS 200.6 - ADS 203.3.3
- Program Evaluation by Mission Was Not Shared With Contractor - ADS 203.3.6.7
- Performance Results Were Not Measured, Reported, or Supported - (ADS) 203.3.5.1
- Contractor Data Did Not Accurately Reflected Outreach Efforts - (ADS) Chapter 203 - section 203.3.5.2 - ADS 203.3.5.1
- Program Did Not Conduct Required Gender Analysis
- Coverage of Gender in HIV/AIDS Programming Left Gaps - The Lantos-Hyde Act
- Partner Results Were Not Verifiable - ADS 203.3.5.1 - ADS 203.3.5.2
- Program Targets Were Imprecise - ADS 203.3.4.5 - ADS 203.3.7.1
- Targets for Key Interventions Were Not Sufficient to Track Progress - Automated Directives System 203.3.4.5
- Program Performance Reporting Needs Improvement - Automated Directives System 203.3.2.