Subject: Per Diem (DSA) Rates for USAID funded In-Country Workshops and Seminars

Revised 3/20/2008

The country directors of the major donor agencies in Malawi (including USAID) have agreed to adopt a uniform approach to payment of meals and incidental expenses (daily subsistence allowance), where development partner funding is used to sponsor in-country workshops, seminars, training, etc. for employees of the three branches of the Government of Malawi, as well as for non-government partners.

First, USAID’s preference is that whenever practicable, the sponsoring organization (USAID partner) should make all arrangements for lodging and meals on behalf of participants in lieu of paying a per diem. The per-participant cost of such arrangements should not exceed the amount that would be paid if a per diem within the allowed rates were paid directly to participants.

If this type of arrangement is not practicable, participants may be paid a per diem (DSA). USAID advises partners to adopt the uniform rates for Meals and Incidentals (M&IE) developed by the donor agencies, as listed below. If used, these rates must be incorporated into each partner organization’s policies and procedures manual for their local operations in Malawi.

The below rates are for meals and incidental (M&IE) expenses only (excluding lodging) and should be considered ceiling amounts, which means that partner organizations can establish rates for payment of meals and incidentals up to these limits:

Maximum daily rates for Meals and Incidentals (excludes lodging)

MK 3,750

MK 2,500 (when lunch and breakfast are provided)

MK 1,250 (when all three meals are provided)

Lodging

When lodging is applicable, USAID partners should use either their internally established lodging rates for in-country travel in Malawi OR the lodging rate for such travel that may be found in the agreement between USAID and the partner/recipient, whichever of these is lower. Whichever of these rates is to be used, it cannot exceed the U.S. Government’s established rates for the particular locality. (These rates may be viewed at The recipient organization’s lodging rates should be documented in writing in the organization’s policy manual and adhered to on a consistent basis.

Other Guidance on per diems:

  • For travel of less than 12 hours, no per diem is paid
  • For travel that is greater than 12 hours but less than 24 hours, Actual lodging if incurred, not to exceed the maximum, and 75% of the applicable M&IE rate is paid.
  • For travel that is greater than 24 hours, Actual lodging if incurred, not to exceed the maximum, and 75% of M&IE is paid for the first and last days of travel, with 100% of the applicable per diem given for all other travel days.
  • Based on USAID/Malawi prevailing practice attendees at meetings, workshops or conferences would not be entitled to per diem or travel reimbursement if they reside within a reasonable driving distance from the event (within the city limits of where the event is being held). For example, a sponsored person who resides in Lilongwe and attends an event at MIM, the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Office, or one of the Lilongwe hotels would not be entitled to any travel related expenses or per diem.
  • Based on USAID/Malawi prevailing practice any perdiem for drivers who may be driving participants to the event is the responsibility of the sponsored participant and should not be reimbursed by USAID partners.
  • Lodging receipts are required to be submitted whenever lodging is being reimbursed.

As many of our partners have requested information on paying for participants’ transportation costs, general guidance based on USAID/Malawi prevailing practice follows:

Transportation

Transportation is only reimbursed for those who are traveling from outside the city limits where the event is being held. USAID policy is that the following methods of reimbursing for transportation costs to meetings, conferences, workshops, and trainings may be considered:

  • If public transport, which is generally preferable, is used, the cost should be reimbursed against actual cost of bus fare by the usually traveled route. Bus ticket and/or receipt are required.
  • If a privately owned vehicle (POV) is used, its use must be approved in advance of the travel, and it should be shown to be less costly that the use of public transportation following the usually traveled route. The general rule is that the traveler using his POV would be reimbursed at the per km rate established in the sponsoring organization’s own policy manuals, not to exceed the per km rate used by the U.S. government.* The mileage reimbursed must be according to the usually traveled route for the locations involved. If more than one person travels in a vehicle, the mileage is reimbursable to only one of them.
  • Use of rental vehicles is generally not allowable unless it has been approved in advance and its use has been determined to be less costly than the use of public transport.

*Currently the USAID government GSA has an established rate for use of a POV of $ .445 per mile or$.278 per km.This rate is updated quarterly on the GSA website

Sitting Fees/Attendance Allowances

While reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses as described in the paragraphs above, is allowed when sponsoring meetings, conferences, and training events, USAID/Malawi normally does not allow sitting fees, or other allowances to be paid to event participants.