Indicators

Different type of indicators

Exercise

Indicators

Table of
Contents
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Indicators
An indicator is a variable, measure or criterion that measures one aspect of a program/project.
Simply stated, an indicator verifies whether an intended change actually occurred. Indicators
are developed for two reasons:
1. To measure attainment of inputs, activities, outputs, effects /outcomes and impacts related
to our project design hierarchy.
2. To evaluate key questions in the evaluation of projects and program

An indicator shows what you think success will look like if your outputs are produced and
outcomes achieved. Indicators specify how you will measure whether the changes anticipated
in the log frame are really occurring.

Example of indicators
Number of training manuals
provided Indicators are expressed in terms of
Number of students reached on the numbers or percentages, as follows
message of HIV number of
% of farmers with improved skill percent of
% of income increased ratio of
incidence of
proportion of

Ideal characteristics of Indicators 

Indicator should be SMART

Specific – what will be measured?
Measurable - data can be collected
Attainable/achievable Indicators could be at different level
Realistic/Relevant- to the results chain like >>>>
Timebound Impact indicator
Outcome indicator
Output indicator
Process indicator
Input indicator
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Different types of indicator

Input Indicators: indicators that measure inputs such as number of training materials, staff
members, infrastructure, etc. These indicators describe what goes into a program.

Process or Activity Indicators: indicators that measure process-oriented activities such as the
number of training workshops conducted, number of site visits, etc. These indicators describe
the number of activities or their level of completion.

Output Indicators: indicators that measure the end results of program components such as
the number of staff members trained, number of materials distributed, number of
cooperatives established, etc. These indicators describe the goods and services produced by
the program activities.

Outcome (effect) Indicators: indicators that measure the change in systems or behaviors
resulting from the achievement of an intermediate goal/result/target (objectives), such as the
percentage of staff members who are competent (scoring above 75% on competency test), the
number of clinics meeting new quality standards or the number of women breastfeeding.

Impact Indicators: indicators that measure the actual change in conditions of key problems or
unmet needs that have been identified as linked to the program goal such as changes in health
status, nutritional status, income, etc.
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Indicator Exercise
Creating indicators at output, outcome, and impact levels.
Activity 1:Training on proper hand washing techniques
Activity 2: Training farmers on improved crop management techniques
Activity 3: Establishing a market information system
Activity 4: Training on crop storage system

The task is to design three indicators to measure the causal chain their  activity is part of
one  output  level  indicator, one outcome level indicator and one impact level indicator.    The
worksheet below may be used by groups to record their answers to this exercise.

Level of the   General guideline Proposed indicators

indicator

Impact level The change in the condition or situation

of the population. Measures the highest level
of change your  project is responsible for
bringing about

Outcome level Very often this is a behavior (acting,

thinking,  feeling) or knowledge change, but
not  always.  There are higher and lower
level  outcomes, i.e. the higher level outcome
could  be new practices that a beneficiary
uses.  A  lower level outcome would be the
knowledge a beneficiary gains at a training

Output level Direct product of the implementer’s activities

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Answer key

Activity 1:Training on proper hand washing techniques

Level of the   Proposed indicators

indicator

Impact
indicator % change in rate of waterborne illness

Outcome % of households that  have water and soap or  a locally

indicator available cleansing agent at a hand washing place

Output # of households trained  on proper hand  washing techniques  with

indicator proper cleansing agents

Activity 2: Training farmers on improved crop management techniques

Level of the   Proposed indicators

indicator

Impact
indicator % change in crop yield

Outcome % of farmers that used at least two improved crop management

indicator techniques in the last season

Output # of farmers trained on  improved crop  management  techniques

indicator in the past 30 days
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Activity 3: Establishing a market information system

Level of the   Proposed indicators

indicator

Impact
indicator % change in household revenue from the key commodities

Outcome % of farmers that know current prices of key commodities

indicator

Output # daily price information chart established in the coverage area in

indicator the past year

Activity 4: Training on crop storage system

Level of the   Proposed indicators

indicator

Impact % change in income 

indicator
Proxy: change in HDDS

Outcome % of households that used at least two improved storage

indicator techniques in the last post-harvest period

Output # of farmers trained on improved crop storage techniques

indicator