The Good Enough Guide

Your agency may have its own approach to indicators. If not, this introduction can help you start to develop ‘good enough’ indicators with people affected by an emergency.

Indicators are numbers or statements that help measure, simplify, and communicate changes and impact.

Quantitative indicators use numbers, qualitative indicators use words or pictures. Both types of indicator are necessary. For example, a quantitative indicator may tell you the number of children receiving rations: a qualitative indicator can tell you how satisfied they are with the food.

Use the ‘good enough’ approach when thinking about indicators:

• Find out if the project already has some indicators
• Don’t develop too many new ones: use as few as possible
• Try to have a balance of quantitative and qualitative indicators
• Collect only the information you need most
• Check that a preferred indicator really will measure the change desired
• After using your indicators to track changes, analyse and use this information in decision-making

Sphere indicators

The ‘good enough’ approach recognises the need to refer to widely accepted standards. Sphere provides the best-known indicators of humanitarian impact. They create a ‘common language’ and enable comparison between projects.

Sphere acknowledges that indicators may be modified in certain contexts. In the case below an agency explains why it could not deliver the recommended 7–15 litres of water per person per day. When indicators cannot be met, it is important to be transparent, to record reasons during assessment and impact monitoring and, if possible, to advocate so that indicators can be met.

Ethiopia project

In a drought project in Ethiopia in 2000 we delivered water to over 400,000 people. We delivered approximately 5 litres per person per day instead of the recommended 15 litres. That was beyond donor and logistical capacities. We clearly stated that we were delivering water only for consumption and cooking.

Indicators of change

Wherever possible, involve women, men, and children affected by the emergency in deciding the changes they want to see. Ask community members at a meeting, workshop, or in individual discussion about what they hope to see when the project has been completed. Hold separate meetings for women and for other groups.

Ask people affected about what will happen if the project is a success. ‘Imagine the project is finished. How will people benefit? How will it affect your life? What will you see happening?’ People’s response to these questions helps give you the indicators you need to track progress and change.

Indicators of change developed by a community:

• may or may not be compatible with other indicators
• may seem illogical to outsiders
• may not be applicable in other emergencies or other communities
• may not be time-bound
• may not enable comparison between projects

However, they are a way of making sure project staff look through the eyes of beneficiaries, enable people to express their views, and take into account their experience and wishes.

Sudan project

In a water project in south Sudan, project staff gauged success using a Sphere indicator that measured the distance of the water point from the community.

But in the same project the community measured success by counting the number of girls going to school. When the water point was nearer the community, the girls took their buckets to school and picked up the water on the way home.

How did people feel about the changes in their community as a result of the water supply close by and the fact that girls could go to school? An example of how to measure satisfaction is shown in the box on page 23.

From V. M. Walden (2005) ‘Community Indicators’, Oxfam (internal); L. Bishop (2002) ‘First steps in Monitoring and Evaluation’, Charities Evaluation Services; interview with Margarita Clark, Save the Children.

Next Page >