Examples of Indicators

1. Examples of Indicators Draft 3

2. What are Indicators? • B. Examples of Indicators • C. Tracking your Progress • D. Suggestions for Choosing and Using indicators Contents

3. Indicators tell us how well our project is working. They can describe both the activities we’re doing, and whether we are achieving our expected results in a community project. A. What Are Indicators?

4. Numbers that describe how much things have changed….. Indictors can include both… Storiesthat describe what the change is like and how it helped the community.

5. Our indicators could include… • the speed we’re driving at. • the number of kilometers we’ve traveled • The sign posts along the side of the road that announce the towns we’ve passed through • Photos of the natural landmarks --- hills, mountains, rivers – we see. • A story describing the highlights of our trip If we were taking a trip…

6. Our indicators could include… • The number of goals scored • A play by play commentary of a great goal • The number of red and yellow cards • The number of goals scored • The stories of the coach and players about what the winning the game meant for them. If we were playing football…

7. In the next slides, we will show some examples of indicators for both activities and results (output, outcome and impact) for the following types of projects: • Education • Child Participation • HIV/AIDS • Water & Sanitation B. Examples of Indicators

8. Please note that these are only examples of indicators from other projects. You will need to develop your own indicators that make sense locally. A Word of Caution!

9. 1. Education

10. Activity Indicator Training teachers in new methods of education # of teachers trained Providing schools supplies and uniforms # of children (boys & girls) who received new school supplies and uniforms Repairing school buildings # of school buildings repaired Mobilize Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) # of PTA’s organized Education - Activities

11. Output Indicator Primary schools have improved, safe infrastructure and/or equipment to accommodate and retain increased enrolment. # of primary schools that meet minimum standards for space, sanitation, and structure. Capacity of teachers improved to provide active and relevant learning environment for girls and boys. # of teachers and/or on inclusive teaching methodologies, participatory learning techniques, gender equality in education and child friendly school model Increased access to good quality of education. % increase in school attendance (boys and girls) Quality of education as assessed by supervisors Education - Output

12. Outcome Indicator Increased numbers of socially excluded girls and boys retained in, and completed a full cycle of primary schooling. Annual school retention rates of socially excluded boys and girls in SCC targeted schools (versus control schools). Civil society groups and networks (including children’s groups) strengthen their alliance and, increasingly advocated for boys’ and girls’ rights to education. # and description of advocacy actions by right to education groups and networks. Education models developed by SCC are adopted by relevant duty bearers (Government, NGOs, CBOs). # of duty bearers (Gov’t, NGOs, CBOs) adopting education models developed by SCC. Education policies, laws and programs increasingly reflect gender equality and girls’ and boys’ rights to education. # and significance of changes to existing/new laws, policies, programs addressing children’s right to education. Education - Outcomes

13. Impact Indicator Literacy levels in community increase % change in number of youth literacy levels for youth graduating from school (vs. baseline) Examples from country reports to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child demonstrating increasing application of CRC articles. Level of fulfillment of the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of Children by Government. The spirit and intent of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is reflected in the child-related policies, regulations, pro-grams and services of governments and other duty bearers. Socially excluded girls and boys are better able to claim their inherent rights and have these realized. Annual increase in the percentage of the public budget assigned to the National Action Plan for Children and Adolescents 002-2011 Education - Impact

14. Your Turn For an education project, the Output Result could be: • Capacity of teachers improved to provide active and relevant learning environment for girls and boys • An indicator of success could be: • # of teachers using inclusive teaching methodologies, participatory learning techniques, gender equality in education and child-friendly school models. • OR we could look for evidence of: • Students looking forward to going to school each morning • Parents of students sensing greater interest among students in learning • Students sharing stories at home about new learning during the day.

15. Education Activities or Results Indicators A. In groups of 5, name three results of a good education project. For each result, name one way that you would know if it had been achieved and that they are benefiting the community? Write you answers on a flip chart. We’ll hear from each group. Your Turn

16. Your Turn B. As we review each other’s education results and indicators, ask: • Is the result an output, outcome or impact? • Is this indicator quantitative (numbers), qualitative (stories) or both? • Will this indicator be something that is easy to keep track of? • Will this indicator make sense to the community AND our partners outside the community?

17. 2. Children’s Participation

18. Activity Indicator Establish children’s clubs # of children’s clubs established and trained on child rights issues Train girls and boys on child rights, harmful child work, the needs of working children and the importance of education # of girls and boys trained on child rights, harmful child work, the needs of working children and the importance of education Representatives from children’s clubs take part in quarterly CCPN meetings # of children’s representatives per community participate in the quarterly CCPN meetings. # of children’s clubs that receive regular support to implement their action plan Support children’s clubs. Child Participation - Activities

19. Output Indicator Children’s clubs are active and organizing events to communicate CP messages # children clubs that organize regular recreational activities (at least one activity per week) to stimulate and communicate CP messages Children aware of CRC # of children in targeted communities are aware of the CRC % of boys and girls participating in school child rights clubs or other spaces for children to meet, organize and act. # of actions or events held by children to demand their right to quality, relevant education. Level of understanding of boys, girls and youth of what their right to education means Enhanced capacities of girls, boys and youth to demand their right to quality, relevant education. Child Participation - Output

20. Outcome Indicator Reduced levels of harmful child work in targeted areas Improved working conditions for working children Increased access and retention of working boys and girls in educational programs Children realize rights to be free from exploitative child work Stories of how children, parents, child protection agencies and community members explain the importance of preventing harmful child work. Examples of where children, parents, child protection agencies and community members intervened to protect child workers Increased understanding of children, parents, child protection agencies and communities regarding harmful child work, the nature of the violation of their rights and mechanisms to protect child workers • # of child graduates from SCC programs returning to the worst forms of child work. Levels of harmful child work in SCC targeted areas reduced. Child Participation - Outcomes

21. Impact Indicator • Country reports to UN Committee on the Rights of the Child demonstrating increasing application of CRC articles. • Level of fulfillment of the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of Children by Government. • Annual increase in the percentage of the public budget assigned to the National Action Plan for Children and Adolescents 2002-2011 Socially excluded girls and boys are better able to claim their inherent rights and have these realized as per the spirit and intent of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Child Participation - Impact

22. Your Turn For a children’s participation project, the Outcome Result could be: • Civil Society groups and networks (including children’s groups) strengthen their alliance and advocate for boys and girls rights to education. • One indicator of that could be: • # and description of advocacy actions by right to education groups and networks. • But you could also look for evidence of: • More billboards, posters and other IEC materials that promote education • Examples where community members feel they play a meaningful part of advocacy actions.

23. Education Activities or Results Indicators In groups of 5, name three results of a good children’s participation project. For each result, name one way that you would know if it had been achieved and that they are benefiting the community? Write you answers on a flip chart. We’ll hear from each group. Your Turn

24. Your Turn As we review each other’s child participation results and indicators, ask: • Is the result an output, outcome or impact? • Is this indicator quantitative (numbers), qualitative (stories) or both? • Will this indicator be something that is easy to keep track of? • Will this indicator make sense to the community AND our partners outside the community?

25. 3. HIV/AIDS

26. Activity Indicator # of community based organizations established and strengthened to provide quality counseling, care and support services for children affected by HIV AIDS Establish and strengthen CBOs to provide counseling, care and support services to children affected by HIV/AIDS. # of children, including sales girls, sex workers, child workers and school children sensitized on ways to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and avoid high risk situations and behaviours Sensitize children on ways to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and avoid high risk situations and behaviours Train peer educators # of girls and boys trained as peer educators to reach children in their communities Form PLWHA support groups. # of of PLWHA support groups formed. Average size of PLWHA groups. HIV/AIDS - Activities

27. Output Indicator Children knowledgeable about ways to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and avoid high risk situations and behaviours Scores on simple verbal knowledge test re: ways to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and avoid high risk situations and behaviours Access to essential services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) improved. # of OVCs receiving quality counseling, psycho-social support, medical care and referral services by trained partners and caregivers. # of linkages established between OVCs and health care providers. Perception of duty bearers on means to protect children affected by HIV/AIDS changed positively. # of government representatives and community leaders, parents, legal guardians and community leaders fulfilling their responsibilities to protect children affected by HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS - Output

28. Outcomes Indicator Reduction in children’s vulnerabilities to the impact of HIV-AIDS Improved social and legal frameworks, including services, to protect boys and girls affected by HIV-AIDS Civil society groups and networks, including children’s groups, increasingly advocate for children’s right to a healthy sexuality and to be protected from HIV/AIDS. # of civil society groups/networks addressing HIV/AIDS. Examples of their effective advocacy. Social and legal frameworks, including services, to protect boys and girls affected by HIV/AIDS are improved # of changes to existing/new laws, policies or programs addressing children vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS prevention and care and support models are adopted by relevant duty bearers. # of duty bearers (Gov’t, NGOs, CBOs) adopting HIV/AIDS prevention and care models HIV/AIDS - Outcomes

29. Impact Indicator Decrease in prevalence of HIV/AIDS in target communities. Change in % of children living with HIV/AIDS in target communities Improved quality of life for PLWHA in targeted communities. Stories of improvement in quality of life for PLWHA. HIV/AIDS - Impact

30. Your Turn For an HIV/AIDS project, the Outcome Result could be: • HIV/AIDS prevention and care and support models are adopted by relevant duty bearers. • One indicator of that could be: • Examples of duty bearers (Gov’t, NGOs, CBOs) adopting HIV/AIDS prevention and care models • But you could also look for evidence of: • Examples where community members benefited from improved HIV/AIDS care models • Decrease in the rate of HIV/AIDS amongst target population.

31. Education Activities or Results Indicators In groups of 5, name three results of a good HIV/AIDS project. For each result, name one way that you would know if it had been achieved and that they are benefiting the community? Write you answers on a flip chart. We’ll hear from each group. Your Turn

32. Your Turn As we review each other’s HIV/AIDS results and indicators, ask: • Is the result an output, outcome or impact? • Is this indicator quantitative (numbers), qualitative (stories) or both? • Will this indicator be something that is easy to keep track of? • Will this indicator make sense to the community AND our partners outside the community?

33. 4. Water & Sanitation

34. Activity Indicator Distribute water purification packets # of water purification packets distributed # of households receiving a water purification packet Train community health workers on necessary skills and knowledge to mobilize communities on sanitation, hygiene promotion and child protection # of CHW who complete training course and pass test of knowledge and skills. Clear, repair and/or install water sources including wells and hand pumps. # of water sources cleared, repaired and/or installed Water & Sanitation - Activities

35. Output Indicator Water sources operational and maintained. # of water sources that are operational at least 80% of the time Households have access to clean water. # of households with access to clean water within 100 metres of their house up to 20 litres / person / day. Girls and boys have access to clean water in selected schools # of girls and boys accessing water in schools daily Community Health Workers have the necessary skills and knowledge to mobilize communities on sanitation, hygiene promotion and child protection # of CHW who pass a basic test on necessary skills and knowledge to Water & Sanitation - Output

36. Outcomes Indicator Decreased risk of diarrhea, dysentery and other waterborne gastrointestinal diseases # and % change in # of people facing decreased risk of diarrhea, dysentery and other waterborne gastrointestinal diseases People are able to protect themselves against extremely hot and humid weather conditions. # of people able to protect themselves against extremely hot and humid weather conditions. Individuals in communities are able to access clean water for drinking, personal hygiene and cooking needs. # of individuals in 100 communities able to access clean water for drinking, personal hygiene and cooking needs. Water & Sanitation - Outcomes

37. Impact Indicator Improved quality of life for families Stories that illustrate changes in quality of life as a result of provision of water and sanitation facilities. Water & Sanitation - Impact

38. Your Turn For a water and sanitation project, the Outcome Result could be: • Individuals in communities are able to access clean water for drinking, personal hygiene and cooking needs. • One indicator of that could be: • # of individuals in 100 communities able to access clean water for drinking, personal hygiene and cooking needs. • But you could also look for evidence of: • Children are clean and tidy (since they have water for bathing and washing clothes) • Stories about how the access to water has made women’s work easier.

39. Education Activities or Results Indicators In groups of 5, name three results of a good water and sanitation project. For each result, name one way that you would know if it had been achieved and that they are benefiting the community? Write you answers on a flip chart. We’ll hear from each group. Your Turn!

40. Your Turn As we review each other’s child participation results and indicators, ask: • Is the result an output, outcome or impact? • Is this indicator quantitative (numbers), qualitative (stories) or both? • Will this indicator be something that is easy to keep track of? • Will this indicator make sense to the community AND our partners outside the community?

41. C. Tracking Your Progress Having named a result and chosen an indicator, you should also think of how you can track and share your progress in a way that everyone can understand. Consider using: local images, pictures, symbols, simple graphs, etc. that anyone can follow no matter how much formal education they have.

42. Your turn In your group, pick one set of results and indicators from the groups’ charts for any of the projects. Design a creative way that the community members could keep track of the stages of progress towards that result. For example: • A plant growing (seed, sprout, sapling, tree) • Traveling down a road (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th destination) • Steps in cooking (cut ingredients, boil, add spices, serve)

43. D. Suggestions for Choosing Indicators Below are a few suggestions on how to choose and use indicators in a community project.

44. Indicators Should Be Useful to Everyone Community Donors Other Stakeholders Useful to Everyone!

45. Qualitative Indicators • Describe the extent of change and how many people have benefitted (the reach) from the project. • Put the stories and anecdotes in perspective (e.g. how typical is that story of the wider community?). • Are not necessarily more objective or rigorous than qualitative indicators • Describe the dynamics of change • Give life to the numbers by capturing the intangible qualities of a community. • Are more accessible to many community members with differing levels of formal education • Can be objective and rigorous with good data collection and analysis. Be sure to use both… Quantitative Indicators

46. Indicators should reflect those things the project intends to change, avoiding measures that are largely subject to external influences Specific • Indicators must • be precisely defined so that their measurement and interpretation is unambiguous • give objective data, independent of who is collecting the data • be comparable across groups and projects thus allowing changes to be compared and combined. Measurable and unambiguous Indicators should be achievable by the project and therefore sensitive to changes the project wishes to make Attainable and sensitive Indicators should be relevant to the project in question It must be feasible to collect data within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost Relevant and easy to collect Timebound Indicators should describe by when a certain change is expected SMART Indicators Source: Mayoux 2002. What do we want to know? Selecting Indicators.

47. Subjective Informants have a special position or experience that gives them unique insights which may yield a very high return on the investigators time. Participatory Indicators should be developed together with those best placed to assess them. This means involving a project’s ultimate beneficiaries, but it can also mean involving local staff and other stakeholders. Interpreted and communicable Locally defined indicators may not mean much to other stakeholders, so they often need to be explained. Cross-checked and compared The validity of assessment needs to be cross-checked by comparing different indicators and progress, and by using different informants, methods, and researchers. Empowering The process of setting and assessing indicators should be empowering in itself and allow groups and individuals to reflect critically on their changing situation. Diverse and disaggregated There should be a deliberate effort to seek out different indicators from a range of groups, especially men and women. This information needs to be recorded in such a way that these differences can be assessed over time. SPICED Indicators

48. SPICED SMART vs. SPICED Indicators • Common and useful criteria for assessing indicators • Works well for quantitative indicators (e.g. # of schools, test marks, literacy rates). • Perceived as more rigorous (depending on collection methods) • Works better for qualitative indicators and participatory monitoring and evaluation situations. • Can be as rigorous as quantitative indicators if good qualitative data collection and analysis is done. SMART

49. Who is changing? (Population: e.g. girls in the community) • How many do we expect will succeed? (Target: 90% of the girls in community) • How much change is good enough? (Threshold: e.g. # of girls enrolled in school full time) • By when does this result need to happen? (Timeline: by the end of the project) 4 Questions to Create an Indicator Source: Actknowledge and ASPEN Institute Roundtable on Community Change. 2003. www.theoryofchange.org

50. 1. Who is changing? “Girls at risk” 2. How many do we expect will succeed? 900 For example… 3. How much change is good enough? “Are completing primary school with a grade of “pass” or higher.” 4. By when does this result need to happen? “by 2010” 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = Indicator 900 girls at risk are completing primary school with a grade of “pass” or higher by 2010.