Glossary of Development Terms and Abbreviations

NB: Some of these terms are specific to DFID, others are used throughout the development community.

M&E - monitoring and evaluation

MAI - Multilateral Agreement on Investment

Mainstreaming - Mainstreaming implies addressing gender issues across the full range of sectors within existing development strategies and priorities.

Matrix - a grid like array of interconnected elements - a helpful tool for setting out 2 or 3 dimensions, e.g. time, resources, actors.

Maturity period - The time from the date of the coming into force of a loan agreement until the date the final repayment is due.

MD - Millennium Declaration 

MDGs - Millennium Development Goals 

MDI - Multilateral Development Institutions

Means of Verification (MOVs) - the sources of data that you will use to judge whether you have achieved your objectives (including standards for equipment and measurement) at all levels of the Logical Framework. They must be practical and cost effective. MOVs provide the basis for project reporting and monitoring systems.

Measure - A direct gauge or measure (quantitative or qualitative) of output or of some aspect of performance.

MFA - Multi-Fibre Arrangement 

MFN - Most Favoured Nation

Microhabitat - lead environmental conditions within a habitat.

Mid-Term Review - See Output-to-Purpose Review.

MIGA - Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency

Milestone - indicators relating to intermediate, time bound, targets or objectives which need to be achieved if the project outputs and purpose are to be achieved. a useful aid to monitoring progress.

MIS - management information system

Mission - a particular task or goal assigned to a person or a group; a statement issued by an organisation setting out their key tasks and aims (see also: Vision).

Mitigation - This refers to the options for reducing or removing negative environmental impacts and consists of three basic options: Remove the problem by the use of alternative sites, locations or operating conditions; reduce the problem by similar methods; or compensate for the problem by remediation, replacement or payments in cash or kind. Recommended mitigation may also include the provision of additional specific measures or inputs, which may be funded or implemented independently of the main project.

Mixed credit - A term used to describe an association of aid (official development assistance) with officially supported commercial credit (export credit). Also variously used to describe transactions better defined as Associated Finance (in the Development Assistance Committee). Tied Aid Credit, or Tied Aid Finance.

Monitoring - collection and analysis of financial and non-financial information on a regular basis in order to check a project's performance compared with its stated objectives, budget and work plan. Monitoring is normally seen as an internal project activity, but can also be external (by outsiders). Monitoring is normally concerned with inputs, activities and outputs. Monitoring systems can, however, also generate information on progress at the purpose level.

MTEF - Medium-Term Expenditure Framework 

MTS - Multilateral Trading Systems

Multilateral agencies or organisations - international organisations to which individual countries contribute funds for subsequent disbursement by those organisations. The main multilateral agencies are the UN and its specialised agencies, the World Bank Group (IBRD, IDA, IFC and MIGA) , the European Community and the Regional Development Banks.

Multilateral aid - (i) Contributions made to an international institution for use in or on behalf of a recipient. This includes an agreed percentage, as laid down by the Development Assistance Committee, of national contributions to the regular budgets of certain multilateral organisations which are only partly active in development. (ii) Financial aid and technical co-operation provided by an international institution to developing countries.

Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency - Part of the World Bank Group and established in 1988. MIGA helps developing countries attract foreign investment by providing investors with guarantees against 'non-commercial' risk such as expropriation, war and civil disturbance.

Multi-Disciplinary - involving people from different professional backgrounds or with different qualifications; brings different perspectives and skills to bear on a problem, often working in a multi-disciplinary team.

Multilateral Funders (Multilateral Aid/Assistance) - two or more organisations or countries providing aid or assistance to a specific recipient country.

Back to Top