PROMOTING EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS

USTDA employs a rigorous and carefully constructed monitoring and evaluation process to analyze progress, establish project outcomes and inform future program decisions. The Agency measures project-specific data on an ongoing basis over the course of many years, allowing a true and consistent understanding of the overall effectiveness of USTDA’s full range of programming. Together, the twin priorities of monitoring and evaluation capture the clearest data and promote continuous learning that ensures shared accountability and enhanced investment impact.

This work is conducted by USTDA’s Office of Program Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E Office) which continuously monitors and evaluates all of the Agency’s programmatic activity. To promote the efficiency and efficacy of its programs and achieve effective internal control in line with OMB guidance, USTDA performs systematic compliance checks and rigorous annual financial audits. This robust, evidence-informed practice guides the Agency’s proactive approach to shaping its demand-driven program activities and determining the best ways to direct resources to achieve intended outcomes.

USING DATA TO DRIVE PERFORMANCE

With more than 30 years of data on the impact of project preparation efforts, USTDA’s M&E Office supports evidence-informed program design for infrastructure development in emerging markets. USTDA collects data directly from program stakeholders, evaluates impact and provides analysis on every USTDA-funded program activity. The Agency’s program staff rely on the quantitative and qualitative data generated by the M&E Office to determine where to focus efforts to maximize effectiveness.  USTDA also considers development impact measures as part of its statistical base of data. These indicators are crucial to assessing the enduring impact of USTDA’s support for infrastructure development in emerging economies.

MEASURING PERFORMANCE

Driven by the objective to create or preserve jobs in the United States, USTDA works rigorously to identify the value of U.S. content in the goods and services sold abroad as a result of Agency funding. USTDA determines its trade impact based on those U.S. exports attributed to the Agency’s funding. All U.S. exports attributed to USTDA’s funding must have a credible and significant linkage to an Agency-funded activity. USTDA verifies that its program has a direct and immediate benefit to U.S. companies and supports U.S. jobs.

The following measurements are calculated and maintained by the M&E Office to determine whether the Agency’s performance objectives are being met:

Export Multiplier

At the heart of USTDA’s program monitoring and evaluations strategy is the calculation of the export multiplier. It quantifies the average amount of U.S. exports supported by every program dollar obligated by USTDA. It is calculated by dividing the dollar value of U.S. exports attributed to USTDA by the dollar value of USTDA’s funding commitments, measured as a ten-year rolling average. In general terms, we consider it the ‘export return on USTDA’s investment.’

USTDA supports an average of $231 in U.S. exports for every dollar it programs toward advancing infrastructure projects in emerging economies. This demonstrates the Agency’s ability to support U.S. industry through the export of U.S. goods and services, while earning a strong return on investment for U.S. taxpayers.

Total Cumulative Exports

Since 1992, USTDA’s programs have contributed to more than $120 billion in U.S. exports. In FY 2023 alone, USTDA identified more than $4 billion in new exports. These successes show host countries are committed to the implementation of USTDA supported program activities, which is indicative of USTDA’s success helping U.S. businesses secure export opportunities and develop sustainable infrastructure to foster growth in partner countries. The Agency continues to improve its decision-making to drive results as additional projects are implemented and as USTDA continues to learn more about performance outcomes.  

OUTSIDE EVALUATION

The Agency relies on independent evaluators to help collect and verify data on program performance. These outside evaluation teams annually review hundreds of individual activities to assess the outcomes of USTDA’s funding commitments. This rigorous review supports innovative program management and data-informed decision-making, enabling the Agency to effectively leverage resources in order to deliver results.

Current Outside Evaluation Teams:

MONITORING AND EVALUATION POLICY

The most recent USTDA Monitoring and Evaluation Policy can be found in the Reports and Records section of the website.