Guidance

DFID Results Estimates

Information about the aggregate results estimates produced by the Department for International Development.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Department for International Development
Published
27 November 2018
Last updated
27 August 2020 — See all updates

Background

DFID collects results data across its programmes to monitor its performance and to ensure that UK Aid is having a positive impact for the world’s poorest. Since 2015, DFID has used its Single Departmental Plan (SDP) as its results framework, which consists of headline indicators focussed on a number of priority areas, including Education, Humanitarian, and Family Planning. The SDP indicators cover the Spending Review period from April 2015 to December 2020.

What are results and why are they estimates?

Results estimates are figures that have been collated from a set of our programme results to provide an indication of our activity at an organisational level. Programme data is collected from a wide variety of sources, by different partners, using different methods, operating in different contexts. As such, the quality of the data we receive varies and although we and our partners strive to apply data quality best practices, this can be particularly challenging in some of the environments in which we operate. This is one reason why we refer to our results as estimates and why they are not considered to be official or National statistics. However, we do follow the Code of Practice for Statistics in their production wherever possible. This statement on voluntary compliance demonstrates the steps we have taken to improve the trustworthiness, quality and value of DFID’s results estimates.

The second reason we refer to our results (excluding spend indicators) as estimates is because the process for results aggregation is intentionally designed to estimate the minimum total reach of our aid spend in key areas. We must ensure that each beneficiary of our programmes is only counted once towards the total result for an indicator. We always try to avoid double-counting; preferring to take a conservative approach, rather than risk overstating our results estimates. More detail about the methods we use to estimate our results and technical information about data quality and presentation, can be found in the Methods and Quality section.

Cumulative Annual Estimates

In most cases we report our headline results estimates cumulatively for the whole spending review period, which means that the latest published results cover the total period from 2015 to 2020. We do not publish results for each individual year within that period. We do this because each year we we may receive updated values from partners for previous years, as well as for the current year. In some cases, to avoid double counting, we need to use measures based on the ‘peak year’ or ‘average’ value which cannot be broken down by single years. Further information on this is provided in our Technical Note (PDF, 666 KB, 8 pages).

News

DFID’s latest results estimates were published at 9.30am on 27th August 2020.

Upcoming Statistical Releases

DFID makes every effort to release its results estimates as soon as possible and in an orderly manner, in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics (see our statement of voluntary compliance). We publish results estimates once per year in early summer.

The next results estimates release will be in 2021.

Previous Statistical Releases

Single Departmental Plan Results (2015 to 2020):

DFID Results Framework (2011 to 2015):

Between 2011 and 2015, DFID’s results were set out in DFID’s Results Framework (DRF).

Methods and Quality

Updates to this page

Published 27 November 2018
Last updated 27 August 2020 + show all updates

  1. Latest DFID results estimates published.

  2. Link to DFID results 2019 to 2020 added

  3. COVID-19 notice added

  4. First published.

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