NGO support toolkit (English)  >  Monitoring and evaluation  >  Planning and design 

Using indicators

Indicators are the measures, direct or indirect that will verify objectively to what extent the objectives have been fulfilled. The term "objectively" implies that these should be specified in a way that is independent of possible bias of the observer. Besides objectivity, an indicator should meet the following criteria, usually summarised under the “SMART” acronym:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timebound

Other practical issues to consider when choosing indicators are the availability of data for the indicator, the time and resources required to obtain the data and the simplicity of the indicator. Some indicators form the basis of the ongoing monitoring system, while others especially from the outcome level upwards, will require periodic studies/evaluations. The NSP should define indicators related to both the activities within which it is directly responsible, and also the activities being implemented by partner NGO/CBOs.

Targets can be used to set the expected number or percentage change within a given time period (for instance a 30% increase in a certain population undergoing voluntary counselling and testing within one year). Sometimes the target is included in the indicator but it can be useful to separate them out, as the indicator may remain relevant for years, while the target changes according to the progress of the programme.

Once indicators have been defined, there are a number of choices to be made regarding the means of assessing whether targets have been achieved. The means of verification may come from external sources (for instance local health authority records on HIV testing) or may be generated internally (NGO support visit reports). Some data sources will be part of the routine monitoring system (e.g. activity reports and monthly reports), while others will come from periodic evaluations. There may be a number of existing tools that can be adapted to fit needs. Alternatively, new tools may need to be designed. For each indicator, it is simply a matter of asking, ‘where can I obtain this information?’

Issues to consider

• The development of data collection processes should build on existing systems, and a mapping process can be done to do this, through a review. The mapping process should consider the existing data collection systems, e.g. routine data collection tools, identify the data collected, and who is involved.
• NSPs should be concerned not only about the reliability of their own collected information, but also that of their partners. During the development of the overall M&E systems, data needs should be identified, for both NSPs and NGOs, and the NSPs should consolidate all data submitted from NGOs.

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