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Writing SMART indicators that donors accept
Why indicators fail review
Most indicators are sent back for three reasons: they measure activity instead of change, they have no baseline, or nobody can say where the data will come from. A reviewer reads an indicator and asks one question: could two different people measure this and get the same number?
S and M: specific and measurable
"Improved capacity of staff" is not measurable. "Percentage of procurement staff who pass the post-training assessment with 70% or more" is. Name the unit (people, %, days, contracts), the group, and the threshold that counts as success.
A and R: achievable and relevant
A target must follow from the baseline and the budget. If 20% of contracts are awarded on time today, 95% next year is not credible; 45% may be. Each indicator must belong to one result in your logframe, at the right level: output, outcome or impact.
T: time-bound, with a source
Every indicator needs a date for the target, the frequency of collection and the means of verification: "Procurement tracking sheet, reviewed quarterly by the PIU M&E officer". If the source does not exist yet, the first activity is to create it.
Quick check: 5 questions
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Five red flags in a procurement file
Red flag 1: a specification only one supplier can meet
Brand names, a model number or a very narrow set of features point to one bidder. Ask: could at least three firms meet this? If not, rewrite the requirement in terms of function and performance, and add "or equivalent" where a brand is unavoidable.
Red flag 2: too little time to bid
A short bidding period for a complex contract keeps capable bidders out and invites complaints. Check the deadline against the method in your procurement plan and the rules of your financier, and record why any shorter period was approved.
Red flag 3: evaluation that changes after opening
Criteria that appear in the evaluation report but not in the bidding document, or weights that change, are among the most common reasons a donor objects to an award. The evaluation must apply only what bidders were told.
Red flags 4 and 5: missing records and split contracts
A file without minutes of the opening, signed declarations of no conflict of interest or the reasons for rejecting bids cannot be defended. Several small contracts for the same need, just under a threshold, suggest splitting to avoid competition or prior review.
Quick check: 5 questions
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