Key fiduciary indicators in internationally financed projects: what PMUs must master
Fiduciary management at the heart of the development partnership
Within the framework of projects financed by institutions such as the World Bank, AfDB or European Union, fiduciary management — financial management, procurement, internal control — constitutes the sine qua non condition for maintaining financing. Donors provide their resources subject to rigorous and transparent management; any deviation noted during supervision missions can lead to corrective measures ranging up to suspension or partial cancellation of financing.
PMUs must therefore master a set of fiduciary indicators that enable the donor to assess the fiduciary health of the project. These indicators cover financial management, procurement and project governance.
Essential fiduciary indicators
Based on our experience supporting more than 40 projects in the WAEMU/ECOWAS area, we have identified the most critical fiduciary indicators:
- Effective disbursement rate vs. planned (target: deviation less than 20%)
- Average submission time for interim financial statements (target: compliance with procedures manual schedule)
- Procurement compliance rate with donor procedures (target: 100%)
- Processing time for withdrawal applications (target: less than 10 working days)
- Resolution rate for anomalies identified during supervision missions (target: above 80%)