The Best Guideline ever? 

Several years ago a review found that, after one year of UNICEF assisted interventions, a woman in the pilot village owned two goats instead of one. The evaluation did not uncover that the salary of the project officer could have bought 500 goats and would have made 500 people happy instead of two.

Also some time ago, an evaluation observed that certain buildings constructed with UNICEF assistance resembled “pitiful monuments”.

Recently, I was invited to discuss why large amounts of UNICEF cash assistance often remain outstanding. 

Are our guidelines are deficient? How detailed do we have to be?

Don’t finance things you know nothing about. Don’t give more money to someone who still owes you a receipt. Don’t share your ProMS access password. Don’t dry your cat in the microwave. 

Good common sense may just do the trick. But I can’t find the right phrase for inclusion in our Manuals. So we’ll put in the details.
 

(4 April 2003)

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