This data contains findings of the study on outsourcing of external development assistance in maternal and child health (MCH) in Malawi and Nepal. It outlines the institutional modalities and norms guiding the financing and delivery of MCH projects and programmes. First, our study of external development assistance reveals a messy assemblage of actors, institutional arrangements and activities informed by the norms: ‘value for money’ and ‘measurable results’. Second, we found that for development assistance to function effectively it is not just about the flow of financial resources to a project or a programme but also about networks and key personal and institutional relationships. Third, we found that there is increasing political pressure to show that the disbursement of resources are linked to the achievement of measurable results.