Monitoring is integrated throughout the Program Cycle. Information from partners helps inform Missions for learning and adaptive management purposes. Monitoring information from Missions enables USAID as an Agency to understand its achievements at a corporate level and tell its story to Congress and the American people.
USAID uses existing monitoring information to inform Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCSs). Following approval of a CDCS, a Performance Management Plan (PMP) is written to accompany the strategy and includes information about what will be monitored. Project teams develop Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plans and CORs/AORs/GATRs in collaboration with implementing partners develop Activity Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Plans.
Based on the country context and development priorities articulated in the CDCS, monitoring approaches may be customized to be more effective for specific country contexts or programmatic approaches.