Annex 10: Detailed suggestions for improving efficiency

• Author: Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) (European Commission), Landell Mills International
• Pages: 193-194

Annexes

193

Area of efficiency

Suggestions from DG ECHO about how

NRC can be more efficient

Suggestions from DG ECHO about

improving its own efficiency

Suggestions from NRC about

how DG ECHO can be more

efficient

Communication

• communication of challenges and

bottlenecks which will necessitate

adjustments in the implementation plan,

activities and budget

• better and more transparent anticipation

of problems in implementation

• more communication when there is any

doubt about the implications of a decision

or consequences of an event

• train staff in clear and concise writing for

FPA and eSingleForm so that information

can be read more easily

• position more experienced senior staff at

all levels

• improve document archiving system so

that earlier decisions and agreements can

be traced easily

• be more flexible in terms of geographical

scope, timeline, indicator/target changes

and don’t insist that the Grant agreement

is followed literally

• greater consistency in

messaging and expectations of

partners, particularly from

different levels within DG

ECHO

• eliminate the informal

requirement for monthly or ad

hoc written reports and

additional information beyond

what is agreed in the SGA

• better alignment between DG

ECHO TAs and DG ECHO in

Brussels to prevent having to

elevate requests for

clarifications at Brussels level

for issues that have been

already discussed at the field

level

• recognition of the time demand

that completion of RQ, MR, IR

and FR places on partners

• agree submission schedules

which work within the flexibility

provided for by the indicative

dates of submission for HIP

applications, rather than

treating the indicative date as

prescriptive/final

• reduce the numbers of lines of

communication

Reporting

• provide all the information that is

requested in a way that can be clearly

understood and is consistent through the

report

• include more quantitative information

against the indicators

• pay more attention to quality before

submission to avoid wasting time on

mistakes that can be avoided

• better analysis of factors leading to

underachievement

• make context analysis specific rather than

general

• standardise proposal and

reporting formats with other

donors

• reduce the amount of

information required to prepare

a donor visit as requirements

for financial report, updated

logframe, security/risks

analysis are almost as

burdensome as a full report