| ACC | Administrative Committee on Coordination |
| AFTA | ASEAN Free Trade Area |
| ASEAN | Association of South-East Asian Nations |
| BPPE | Bureau for Programme, Policy and Evaluation |
| BPPS | Bureau for Policy and Programme Support |
| CCF | country cooperation framework |
| CCPOQ | Consultative Committee on Programme and Operational Questions |
| CDIE | Center for Development Information and Evaluation |
| CEDAB | central evaluation database |
| CEO | Central Evaluation Office |
| CIDA | Canadian International Development Agency |
| CSO | civil society organization |
| CTA | chief technical adviser |
| DAC | Development Assistance Committee |
| DAMR | Division for Audit and Management Review |
| DMATT | Development of Malawian Traders Trust |
| DOPP | Division for Operational Policies and Procedures |
| DPA | Division of Public Affairs |
| EIMS | Executive Information Management System |
| GDI | gender-related development index |
| GEF | Global Environment Facility |
| GEM | gender empowerment measure |
| GIDP | Gender in Development Programme |
| GPPP | Government Preferential Purchasing Programme |
| HDI | human development index |
| IAWG | Inter-Agency Working Group |
| IDB | Inter-American Development Bank |
| IFAD | International Fund for Agricultural Development |
| ILO | International Labour Organization |
| JCGP | Joint Consultative Group on Policy |
| JIP | joint issues paper |
| JIU | Joint Inspection Unit |
| LDC | least developed country |
| MCI | Ministry of Commerce and Industry |
| MDGD | Management Development and Governance Division |
| MIRTDC | Malawi Industrial Research and Technology Development Centre |
| NGO | non-governmental organization |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
| OED | Operations Evaluation Department |
| PEIS | project evaluation information sheet |
| PLA | participatory learning and action |
| PMOC | Programme Management Oversight Committee |
| PPER | project performance evaluation report |
| PPM | Programme and Projects Manual |
| PRODOC | project document |
| R&D | research and development |
| RRA | rapid rural appraisal |
| SEDP | Small Enterprise Development Programme |
| SHD | sustainable human development |
| SME | small-scale and micro enterprise |
| SPPD | Support Services for Policy and Programme Development |
| STS | Support for Technical Services at the Project Level |
| UNCDF | United Nations Capital Development Fund |
| UNDP | United Nations Development Programme |
| UNFPA | United Nations Fund for Population Activities |
| UNICEF | United Nations Children's Fund |
| UNIFEM | United Nations Development Fund for Women |
| UNIDO | United Nations Industrial Development Organization |
| UNOPS | United Nations Office for Project Services |
| UNSO | Office to Combat Desertification and Drought |
| USAID | United States Agency for International Development |
| UNV | United Nations Volunteers |
| WFP | World Food Programme |