Member's Documents
Synthesis Report on the Validation of 2022-2023 Project Completion Reports and Expanded Supervision Reports
Published by: Independent Development Evaluation, African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB or “the Bank”) evaluates its operations through a combination of self-evaluation and independent validation. For sovereign operations (SOs), self-evaluation is conducted through a Project Completion Report (PCR), prepared by the responsible operations department immediately after project completion. For non-sovereign operations (NSOs), self-evaluation is conducted through Expanded Supervision Report (XSR) produced by the designated operations departments for a project that reached Early Operating Maturity.
This synthesis report presents IDEV’s validation of 130 PCRs and 18 XSRs produced during 2022–2023. It provides evidence on project performance, the quality of self-evaluations, project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems and draws key lessons to improve results, learning, and accountability.
The synthesis found that the overall performance of projects was generally satisfactory: 89.2% of PCRs and 77.8% of XSRs received positive ratings. Relevance and sustainability were rated highest, while effectiveness and efficiency scored lower. PCR quality was satisfactory (69% rated positively), though improvements are needed in accuracy and objectivity of self-evaluations. XSRs met quality standards in 78% of cases, but would benefit from deeper analysis, particularly in lesson identification and formulation.
The report drew a number of key lessons from the 2022-2023 PCRs and XSRs validation, including:
For PCRs:
- Engaging key stakeholders in a consultative project design process ensures their needs are identified and met, fostering ownership from the outset.
- Strengthening technical and institutional capacities of stakeholders is crucial for achieving project goals and developing sustainable and endogenous expertise.
- For projects using multiple financing instruments, clearly defining and articulating the activities to be financed enhances implementation and progress monitoring.
For XSRs:
- Blended finance and de-risking mechanisms provide opportunities to leverage Development Finance Institution and Impact Investor capital to attract local commercial institutional capital.
- Strengthening the technical and institutional capacities of Line of Credit (LoC) borrowers and beneficiaries improves their understanding of LoC operations, leading to smoother relationships between financial institutions and sub-borrowers.
- Drawing on the Bank’s experience and lessons in project management from both completed and ongoing projects is vital for ensuring a strong project start-up and achieving the expected objectives.
