Selecting indicators is perhaps the most important, and sometimes the most difficult, aspect of M&E. There is no standard list of indicators, but they must be defined and/or adapted by considering information needs, context, and use. Part 3 has two sessions. The first focuses on clarifying terms and concepts, and the second discusses the process of developing indicators. Note that content from part 3 may also be used with the simulation exercise proposed in part 2 (Session 4, from logframes to indicators).
Session 1 -- Indicators: definitions and distinctions
Session 2 -- Selecting indicators
This session defines and explores different types of indicators: direct and indirect, global and locally made, performance indicators. If participants are more experienced in M&E, you can adjust the steps to have them craft the right definitions.
The session outlines the process of selecting indicators and gets participants to practice formulating different types of indicators. Criteria that guide the selection of indicators are then revised in detail. The level of precision of indicators is then discussed, stressing the importance of adapting the process and the criteria for selecting indicators in crisis and unstable contexts.
LINKS WITH OTHER MODULES Module 4.8.1 Using emergency rapid assessment checklists. Some concepts on indicators and their selection may be useful as background reading or a quick review with selected activities. Module 5.2. Managing data collection – overview of methods. For all the sessions included here, again concepts on indicators and their selection may be useful as background reading or a quick review with selected activities.
General and process of selecting indicators Chambers, R. (1983). “Short-Cut Methods in Social Information Gathering for Rural Development Projects", Putting People First, edited by Michael Cernea. Washington, D.C.: World Bank). ITAD (1996), Monitoring and the Use of Indicators. Mosse, R. and Sontheimen, L.E. (1996). Performance Monitoring Indicators Handbook. World Bank Technical paper no. 334. (pp 1-19) http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/sdenveconomics/chinacourse/documents/guide2.pdf
Roche, C. (2000). Impact Assessment for Development Agencies: Learning to Value Change. Oxfam, Oxford. (pp. 37-52) This excerpt looks at indicator development from a very different perspective, The book is focused on impact assessment with a bottom-up approach to valuing impact and outcomes. It is the source of the SPICED criteria for indicator development and gives very practical examples different types of outcome/impact indicators. USAID (1996). Performance Monitoring and Evaluation TIPS "Selecting Performance Indicators," No. 6. Example of types of indicators for different sectors/issues CIDA (1997). Guide to Gender-Sensitive Indicators. http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/cida_ind.nsf/vLUallDocByIDEn/7B5DA002FEAEC07C8525695D0074A824?OpenDocument While this is intended for CIDA staff use, chapter 3 “What are gender-sensitive indicators and why are they useful?” is an valuable quick read. Chapter 5 “Indicators at the project level” gives examples of indicators for education, health, participation and empowerment, showing a range from input through to outcome indicators, all developed from project case examples. The Sphere Project (2004 sic). Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response. The Sphere Project, Geneva. http://www.sphereproject.org/ This handbook provides widely accepted indicators and benchmarks for performance in humanitarian programmes in water, sanitation and hygiene; food security, nutrition and food aid; shelter; and health services. UNICEF (2002). Operational Guidance Note for the Medium Term Strategic Plan 2002-2005. UNICEF, New York. This document provides a reference on indicators related to each of the five UNICEF MTSP result-areas. UNICEF (1999) Executive Directive. CF/EXD/1999-03 23 April 1999 http://www.childinfo.org/MICS2/EDind/exdrepfl.pdf Annex I of this Executive Directive contains the list of global indicators that was used to assess progress in the situation of children by the end of 2000. It was developed through extensive consultation, both within UNICEF,and with WHO, UNESCO and the ILO. UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistics Division “Millenium Indicators Database” http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_goals.asp WHO (1996). "Indicators for assessing Vitamin A Deficiency and their application in monitoring and evaluating intervention programmes," WHO/Nut/96.10.
UNICEF (2004) Programme Process Training Package. For UNICEF staff see the latest version on the Intranet Learning Web
UNICEF - M&E Training modules March 2003 |