The PARC was established in 2001 through a core-funding grant from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID).  DFID had identified the need for improvements in performance assessment within international development programmes and organisations. This reflected an understanding within the wider community that a step change was required within development practice if poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to become a reality. The PARC was established to address these issues, providing high quality performance assessment services, building organisational capacities in the development sector, guiding learning on performance assessment and making key resources available to all stakeholders.

Since its launch in 2001, the PARC has developed to the point that it is now a self-sustaining enterprise, no longer reliant on DFID core-funding.  The PARC is managed by International Organisation Development (IOD), an innovative, UK-based consulting firm with offices in Sheffield and Edinburgh. The PARC's services are delivered through a network of highly qualified consultants, experienced in all areas of monitoring, evaluation and performance assessment.

We have provided services to bilateral and multilateral donors including DFID, SDC, UNICEF,  FAO, WFP and IFAD, donor partnerships including the Global Water Partnership (GWP) and Managing for Development Results (MfDR), international NGOs including CAFOD, Christian Blind Mission, CIVICUS, and to Scottish organisations including Evaluation Support Scotland (ESS), Challenges Worldwide, Network of International Development Organisations Scotland (NIDOS) and Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF).

Visit services for more details on our work or contact us to discuss your needs.

Further information:

Download PARC's Five Year Report 2001-2006
Our team (link to International Organisation Development site)