1. Background Initiated by the MDB Working Group on MfDR 2004
Response to international commitments
Response to external agency performance assessments
- Proliferation of monitoring systems the last few years – both from international events (Rome, Marrakech, Paris) from bilateral donors (MEFF, MOPAN + others) and from multilateral organizations (MDGs, IDA/ADF Measurement Systems, GMR).
- Increasing concerns with assessment and reporting of performance
- Danger that some of this performance data and comparisons are superficial and not reliable
- MfDR Working Group of results therefore initiated a process to develop a Common Performance Assessment System

2. Purpose
Provide a common source of information on how the MDBs are contributing to development results (outputs and outcomes) and improving this contribution over time
We had particularly the Global Monitoring Report in mind when initiating the process. The GMR has through the last two years turned into an important report on IFIs’ contribution to achieving the MDGs
The 2006 GMR will also include reporting on MDBs performance – and the COMPAS is potentially an important source of information
It is however important to keep in mind that GMR is published by the WB and is not a joint MDB product

3. Principles
Strong ownership by all the MDBs – joint responsibility for the report
Common framework for gathering and presenting information
Focus on collective performance by the MDBs as a group
Limited transactions costs in the preparation of the COMPAS report
Transparency (full disclosure of the COMPAS report)
Joint ownership is a key here – this needs to be a joint product. We have decided to rotate the responsibility with producing the report with the chairmanship of the MDB working group. Currently AsDB has this position and we will be in charge of producing the report
We have to limit the transaction cost and basically use existing resources

4. Selection criteria
Relevance to results (only in relation to the MfDR agenda)
Coverage (process indicators - applicability to all the MDBs, results indicators - at least two Banks with data and others have stated their intention to develop them
Comparability (broadly comparable - thorough analysis of definitions ongoing)
Data availability (existing data)

5. Process Piloting 2005/2006 Refinement and revision 2006/2007
The emphasis on managing for development results refers to the fact that the results focus is to be integrated into all aspects of management, not just the monitoring side, and to be used for lesson-learning as much as for accountability. There is a close interconnection between measuring, monitoring and managing functions.
Five key principles for MfDR were endorsed by the heads of the MDBs and the OECD-DAC at the Second Roundtable on Managing for Results in 2004.[1] These are:
Focus the dialogue on results at all phases of the development process
Align programming, monitoring and evaluation with results
Keep measurement and reporting simple
Manage for not by results
Use results information for learning and decision-making
These principles provide normative guidance on how agencies should implement MfDR and are an important first step towards harmonisation. However, they do not provide any indication of which activities, processes and products would be affected by MfDR or how they should be changed [1] See Joint Marrakech Memorandum, February 2004, op cit.