Technical reports
You will be expected to provide both interim and final technical reports that detail your progress toward the project’s stated objectives. The report should help IDRC staff assess:
If work is undertaken in collaboration with other organizations, it is expected that technical reports will be prepared jointly.
IDRC places a high degree of importance on these reports and they are included in the Project Outputs noted in the General Terms and Conditions of the Grant Agreement.
Interim report(s)
An interim (or progress) report should provide a concise description of the activities planned and completed during the reporting period (see Guidelines for preparing interim technical reports). The exact dates of the reporting period should be clearly specified.
The following information should be provided for each project objective:
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details of the work carried out;
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results; activities planned for the next period;
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an evaluation or assessment of progress;
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an outline of problems encountered and the actions to take to address them; and
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administrative aspects (i.e., changes in staffing, organizational changes in the institution, the status of trainees supported by the project, and future training requirements).
Other research outputs may be shared (such as research papers, surveys, and questionnaires), but these outputs do not replace the required technical reports.
The final report
The final technical report should:
Technical reports are reviewed closely by the technical contact person identified in your grant agreement. This officer assesses the project’s progress in achieving its stated objectives and determines whether additional project payments are justified. Please contact the responsible officer identified in your grant agreement for additional information on the interim or final technical reports.
Financial reports
IDRC’s Financial Reporting Workbook provides guidance for preparing your financial reports. Each form captures specific financial information.
FR1:
The Project Information Summary identifies the project, specifies the reporting period, and certifies your institution’s endorsement of the accuracy of all statements made in the report.
FR2:
The Detailed Expenses and Forecast Worksheet details all items of expenditure in each budget category and projects future expenditures, including notes to explain variations from the original budget. All variances that exceed 10% of the budgeted amount must be explained.
The Expense and Forecast Summary summarizes the total actual expenditures and the forecast expenditures for each major budget category, as per the details provided in the Detailed Expense and Forecast Worksheets.
The Budget Balance Summary provides an overview of the project’s overall expenditures and the remaining budget.
FR3:
Section 3A – Cash Receipts and Foreign Exchange and Other Income records all payments received from IDRC and the corresponding exchange calculations.
Sections 3B and 3C – Notice of Receipt of Parallel Funds and Disbursement of Local Contributions reports funds received from other donors, in addition to local contributions to your project.
Financial reports must be prepared following the format in the Proposal Budget (included with IDRC’s approved grant agreement), which summarizes the details of your proposed budget in eight categories. This standardized format supports analysis and any future inquiries by IDRC.
It is important to note the following when preparing your financial reports:
IDRC supports project costs within the allowable expense categories.
IDRC grantees must report total research costs. They must clearly report costs funded by IDRC, as well as costs related to the local contribution.
The final financial report must be received on or no more than 30 days after the work completion date.
In some cases, your project may draw funds from several donors. When additional resources are provided directly by another donor, you must reconcile expenses to the resources received from each donor in your financial report.
Financial reports must indicate all income resulting from the disposal of project equipment purchased with IDRC funds, or through the sale of books, publications, experimental crops, or interest earned on grant funds deposited at the bank. This income must be considered as payment (input) to the project. This input must be reported separately and considered part of IDRC’s contribution to the project.
Financial reports must outline the actual expenditures and the forecast expenditures of your project (mandatory for interim reports).
Financial reports must provide enough detail to assess the project’s financial situation.
Financial reports must be submitted to IDRC in the approved budget format and currency.
Certification of financial report
All financial reports submitted to IDRC must be signed by the project leader AND the chief financial officer (or his/her authorized representative) of the grantee institution. Financial reports will be rejected if they are received without certification.
For additional information about financial reporting, please contact the grant administrator identified in your grant agreement.