Results Matter

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Rodney Bent, Acting Chief Executive Officer

I’m pleased to draw your attention to the newest feature on MCC’s website: a dedicated section on results. This one-stop resource is the first step of an evolving compilation of MCC’s results as they emerge from every stage of our poverty reduction partnerships worldwide. Today you can:

• View information on how we conduct constraints analysis, economic and beneficiary analyses, and monitoring and evaluation,    including rigorous impact evaluations.
• Explore how we monitor, evaluate, and report     performance across sectors and by country, including viewing country     monitoring and evaluation plans and quarterly data against key performance     indicators.
• Track latest developments in each partner country     through such documents as MCCs quarterly status reports and fact sheets.
• Meet, read     about, and listen to those benefitting from MCC programs through video     testimonials, slideshows, and success stories.

I want to stress that this is only a first step. The data and information will be updated as our grants move along their life cycle. More detailed beneficiary analysis will be forthcoming in the months and years ahead.

Why is this innovation so important for MCC? The answer is simple: Results matter, both to our partners and to American taxpayers. The U.S. Government, as a major donor in the fight against poverty, is committed to managing and implementing aid in a way that focuses on results. MCC’s work around the world is one important way that the United States is fulfilling this mandate. Our work is at the forefront of managing for results and using information to inform and improve decision-making.

MCC’s mission to reduce poverty through sustainable economic growth is achieved each time we can impact the lives of the poor in meaningful and measurable ways. Concrete results allow us to document this change through quantifiable impact as well as through the qualitative difference our programs bring to poor communities around the globe. In these tough economic times—when every development dollar counts—planning for, measuring, and tracking results in transparent ways is absolutely essential for delivering returns on our investments. This ensures fiscal responsibility and accountability, making our programs efficient and effective not only for the worlds poor but also for American taxpayers whose generosity and support make MCCs work possible.

I invite you to bookmark MCC’s website at www.mcc.gov/results to access the results section. We welcome your ideas about how to strengthen these resources and involve you, our public stakeholders, in the important work of reducing poverty through growth.