PDI-6 Project implementation units parallel to country structures (number)
Indicator 6 is a count of parallel project implementation units (PIUs), where
 “parallel” refers to having been created outside existing country institutional structures. The survey guidance makes a distinction between PIUs and executing agencies and gives three typical features of parallel PIUs: (a) They are accountable to the external funding agencies rather than to the country implementing agencies (ministries, departments, agencies, etc.). (b) Most of the professional staff are appointed by the donor. (c) The salary of PIU personnel often exceeds that of civil-service personnel.
Interpretation of the survey question on this subject was controversial in a number of countries. It is not clear that within countries all donors applied the same criteria with the same degree of rigour, or that across countries the same standards were used. In a number of cases, the descriptive part of the survey return indicates that some donors applied a legalistic criterion of
accountability to the formal executing agency, whereas the National Co-ordinator or other donors would have preferred a greater recognition of the substantive reality of accountability to the donor. It seems possible that some respondents allowed themselves to confuse the definitional question (is the unit “parallel”?) with the aid management question (is the parallelism justified
in terms of the developmental benefits and costs?). Indicators 3 to 12 (but not Indictor 8) are drawn  from the Survey on Monitoring the Paris Declaration for each respective year.  
Indicator 6 is a count of parallel project implementation units (PIUs), where
“parallel” refers to having been created outside existing country institutional structures. The survey guidance makes a distinction between PIUs and executing agencies and gives three typical features of parallel PIUs: (a) They are accountable to the external funding agencies rather than to the country implementing agencies (ministries, departments, agencies, etc.). (b) Most of the professional staff are appointed by the donor. (c) The salary of PIU personnel often exceeds that of civil-service personnel.
Interpretation of the survey question on this subject was controversial in a number of countries. It is not clear that within countries all donors applied the same criteria with the same degree of rigour, or that across countries the same standards were used. In a number of cases, the descriptive part of the survey return indicates that some donors applied a legalistic criterion of
accountability to the formal executing agency, whereas the National Co-ordinator or other donors would have preferred a greater recognition of the substantive reality of accountability to the donor. It seems possible that some respondents allowed themselves to confuse the definitional question (is the unit “parallel”?) with the aid management question (is the parallelism justified
in terms of the developmental benefits and costs?). Indicators 3 to 12 (but not Indictor 8) are drawn  from the Survey on Monitoring the Paris Declaration for each respective year.  