AMP Malawi
“After being impressed with the system in terms of its capabilities, we decided that AMP was the way to go as far as aid reporting and management were concerned”
Stan Nkhata, Deputy Director
of the Debt and Aid Division, Ministry of Finance of Malawi
[toggle]Key Characteristics
Strengthening data management. Prior to AMP implementation, donor agencies reported and updated actual and planned disbursement data on a quarterly basis via an Excel template developed by the MOF in 2005. However, while the data collection process was solid, the Excel-based system had reached its limitations in housing data in a user-friendly manner. Building on the existing process, government continues to request information from donors in the same manner, but now enters and validates the data in AMP.
Government Ownership. The MOF’s Debt and Aid Division is the government entity that manages AMP and hosts the application on its servers. MOF management signaled from the beginning that AMP implementation was a high priority, and that the system should quickly become embedded in the institutional workflow. This strong commitment is evident in the rapid progress made by the Debt and Aid Division in implementing the system and using it for analytical purposes.
Infrastructure. Existing technical capacity to maintain the AMP server was limited and has been enhanced as part of the implementation process. DG is also broadening its work with the government beyond AMP, providing technical assistance to strengthen the MOF’s internal network.
Managing for Results. The government intends to begin using AMP to monitor progress toward the Paris Declaration indicators, as well as to implement a routine project monitoring reporting structure. It is also using AMP to undertake more proactive aid effectiveness monitoring through greater analysis of donor portfolios.
Donor access. The MOF is planning to give donors the ability to both input and extract data from the system directly. This will allow them to access the most recent data on all donor activities across the country and analyze other donors’ activities and behavior to improve collaboration and aid effectiveness.
[toggle]Results
AMP contains the country’s entire portfolio of ongoing activities (more than 920 projects and programs). Using this information, the Government published the Malawi Aid Atlas for FY 2007/08 and FY 2009/10, which present aid flows to Malawi by economic sector and donor. The reports are available on the MOF website.
AMP is now a key element in the Ministry of Finance’s Development Assistance Strategy. In September 2008, the government showcased AMP Malawi in the “Marketplace of Ideas” at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana. The delegation from Malawi also highlighted the role of AMP in their overall aid coordination strategy during a session on increasing the transparency of aid information.
[toggle]Timeline
| 2008 | |
| January | MOF signed AMP project document, committing to implementation |
| March | Technical assessment completed |
| June-July | AMP installed on MOF servers; pilot team of desk officers trained |
September | Government presented AMP at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana |
| September | System upgraded to the latest AMP release |
December | Government participated in the first AMP Best Practices Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya |
| 2009 | |
| February | Government hosted an AMP knowledge-sharing workshop |
December | Government participated in the second AMP Best Practices Workshop in Dakar, February |
| 2010 | |
May | Network improvement Assessment carried out by DG with support of the Government |
December | Government participated in the third AMP Best Practices Workshop in May Nairobi, Kenya |
| 2011 | |
January | Network expansion and improvement to facilitate online stakeholder access; Procurement of required equipment completed |
June | Development Gateway and CCAPS program partnered with government to begin geocoding all activities captured in AMP |
September | Donor site visits to assess connectivity; user training; and discussions on enhancing monitoring and evaluation features are underway |
[toggle]Links and Resources
- Download 2007/08 report
- Download 2008/09 report
- View other Ministry of Finance reports
- Comparative Study of Data Reported to the OECD CRS and to the Aid Management Platform (using Malawi as a case study)
Funding Partners
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| UNDP |
About AMP
The Aid Management Platform (AMP) is an online application that enables governments to better manage and coordinate development assistance. Designed for use by governments and their development partners, AMP improves and streamlines the processes for planning, monitoring, coordinating, tracking and reporting on international aid flows and activities.
