Data Entry

The data entry component of the COPRS is a Web-based, password-protected data collection system. The primary data collection efforts are twofold. One is the collection of financial information that consists of numerical information about dollars requested (planning documents) or obligated (reporting documents); characteristics of the organizations (i.e., U.S. Government partners) that receive the funds; and characteristics of the activities to be conducted with those funds.

Partner Organizations

In terms of the characteristics of the organizations that receive the funds, we are able to gather data both about the type of organization (faith-based organization, nongovernmental organization, private contractor, university, host-country government agency, or multilateral organization) and the locality of the organizations (i.e., whether it is local/indigenous or not). This information is gathered not just for the prime partners that the U.S. Government works with, but also for subpartners that are also receiving funding.

Activities

With regard to the characteristics of the activities, the system is able to gather several different pieces of information. The activities are broken down by the 15 different program areas in which the Emergency Plan works. Additionally, there are 16 different activity categories which cut across all of the program areas (e.g., training, human resources, logistics, quality assurance and supportive supervision, infrastructure, strategic information, etc.). Information is gathered on the amount of funding to be programmed for each of these activity categories in order to allow for analysis of where our resources are going. Finally, data are also gathered on the specific region/province within the country where the particular work is occurring, in order to allow mapping of our activities.

Financial Data

Financial data collection occurs three times a year. First is the gathering of planned financial information for the coming year, the COP. Second and third are the submission of the semiannual and annual progress reports. These reports collect information on financial obligations to date for the fiscal year and are due after the first six months of the fiscal year and at the end of the fiscal year, respectively. The progress reports are structured to provide obligations against funds requested for each activity as submitted in the COP.

Indicators

The second data collection effort filled by the COPRS is the collection of indicator/target information. This information is collected at the same three points in time as the financial information. In the COP, the U.S. Government in-country missions submit targets for a prescribed list of indicators that they plan to reach over the coming fiscal year. In the semiannual and annual progress reports, the focus countries submit information on results achieved to date in the fiscal year, based on the same indicator set for which targets were submitted in the COP.

Several different indicator/targets are collected by the Emergency Plan. National level indicators/targets relate to the overall goals of the Emergency Plan, the 2-7-10 goals. Program level indicators are an Emergency Plan predetermined set of indicators for each of the 15 program areas defined by the Emergency Plan. These indicators/targets monitor progress on specific U.S. Government-supported activities.

In addition, there are outcome/impact indicators. The outcome/impact indicators are also a prescribed set of indicators and are used to measure joint progress with other international donors. These indicators are monitored only in the progress reports. The indicators and targets are not requested in the COPs.