Final Performance Evaluation of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) Activity
Summary — This report is a final performance evaluation of the USAID/Haiti Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) activity, which aimed to support the Government of Haiti in developing a transparent system for managing public revenues and expenditures. The evaluation focused on Phase V of the activity, implemented by Chemonics International from September 2014 to March 2018, and assessed its effectiveness, utilization, and sustainability.
Key Findings
- IFMS infrastructure and systems implementation remains ongoing, and major aspects of the systems are not being used by intended beneficiaries.
- Trainings were provided, but participants have not had opportunities to apply acquired skills due to ongoing installation of infrastructure and software.
- Connectivity and electricity issues remain a major problem for the activity.
- IFMS did not successfully build buy-in from across the highest levels of GOH leadership.
- The hardware and infrastructure elements of the project are the most successful aspects of the IFMS activity, but they also are still being completed.
Full Description
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/Haiti Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) activity supported the Government of Haiti (GOH) in developing a system for transparent management of public revenues and expenditures. This final performance evaluation focused on Phase V of the activity, implemented by Chemonics International from September 2014 to March 2018. The evaluation concluded that infrastructure and systems implementation remain ongoing. Because the infrastructure is incomplete, aspects of the systems are not being used by intended beneficiaries. The activity conducted several trainings, but participants have not had opportunities to apply acquired skills. Connectivity and electricity issues hindered IFMS, as did lack of buy-in from GOH leadership. GOH is using IFMS hardware and infrastructure, but not using some of the software applications. Financial reporting within the GOH remains the same as before this phase, real-time data exchange is not occurring, and gains to improve fiscal transparency were minimal. The IFMS intranet and Network Operating Center were the activity’s most sustainable aspects, whereas non-infrastructure investments are currently less sustainable. More training and coaching on the new systems are required. The activity did not have a sustainability plan or exit strategy in place at the time of the evaluation.