All activities supported by PPIAF must be consistent with its overarching objective of helping to eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable development.

Proposals for PPIAF support are evaluated against the following criteria:

Government commitment
Country-specific activities may be undertaken only if there is clear evidence of government commitment to the activity. The government must approve the proposed activity in writing.

For multi-country activities designed to directly benefit a small number of easily identifiable countries, the relevant governments must approve the application in writing. For multi-country activities with more dispersed beneficiaries, similar approvals are not required. 

Donor coordination
PPIAF is a multi-donor facility, and the activities it supports must be undertaken in a way that promotes effective coordination with the activities of official donors. A country-specific activity may be undertaken only if the Program Management Unit is satisfied that it does not conflict with programs or activities being undertaken by the World Bank Group, other PPIAF members, or other non-member donor agencies.

Additionality
PPIAF support is intended to result in a net additional flow of resources to an activity. Funding for a proposed activity should not be more conveniently available from other sources, including loans from international financial institutions, grants from other programs, or a government's own resources.

Cofinancing
Due to limited resources, cofinancing from the recipient government and other sources is required. Applications for PPIAF support should include any estimates of government cash or in-kind contributions.

Value for money
PPIAF activities should aim to ensure value for money, including by adopting the lowest-cost strategies consistent with appropriate standards of quality.

Focus on results
Applications should contain indicators for monitoring and evaluation, including expected outputs, outcomes, and impacts.  These indicators will be assessed upon review of the application, during project implementation, and post completion of the activity.

Environmental and social responsibility
When an activity is expected to have significant potential adverse environmental or social consequences, appropriate measures must be taken to ensure an objective and transparent assessment of those potential consequences.