Map 720-M&e Lectures 3-Performance Indicators

AMREF INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (AMIU)
MPH COURSE
MAP 720: MONITORING & EVALUATION
Dr. Nzomo Mwita, PhD

Senior Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
Consultant
October/November 2020
Lectures 3: Performance Indicators
Performance Indicators
 Indicators are either qualitative or quantitative criteria/or

signs used to check whether the planned result/or change
has been attained as planned.
 Performance indicators are measures of project impacts,

outcomes, outputs and inputs and are monitored during
implementation to assess progress towards project objectives.
 They are also used later to evaluate a project’s success.
 Inappropriate indicators can doom a M&E system.

• Choosing proper indicators of change is crucial to
setting up effective monitoring and evaluation system.
• Inappropriate indicators can doom an information

system (Casley D.J. and Krishna Kumar 1987).
 The criteria for selection of indicators include:

1. Unambiquous definition: The indicator must be clearly
defined in the programme's context. It should be NON-
DIRECTIONAL.
2. Consistency: The values of the indicators should stay

constant as long as they are collected
in identical conditions, no matter who does collecting.
3. Specificity: Indicators should measure specific

conditions that the programme aims to change.
Specificity usually decreases along the path from input,
effects to impact.
It will be impossible to assume that it is only the

project intervention and its activities that influence the
outcome. At both the project and the wider context
level, a whole range of unanticipated variables can
potentially influence the outcome of the project
(Oakley P. et al 1998).
4. Sensitivity: Indicators should be highly sensitive to
changes in a programme situation. For example, the
management of a programme that provides a new
seed to small holders needs to monitor the seed's
adoption rate. Short-term movement in this rate in the
early years could reveal whether or not farmers like
the seed.
5. Ease of data collection: The collection of the data

needed to calculate or assess the chosen indicators
should be within the capability of the team.
What indicators can measure
Feuerstein (1986) argues that indicators can help to determine

nine variables of change. These include:
1. Availability of something e.g. availability of service.
2. Relevance of that service in relation to people’s needs and

priorities.
3. Accessibility level to service e.g. are the services at reach of
those for whom they are meant to benefit?
4. Level of utilization of services by target population e.g. how

many of the target population are using the service?
5. Range of coverage of those who need a particular

service e.g. how many of a certain proportion of the
population are reached by the service?
6. Quality or standard of service
7. Efficiency: levels in the use of resources in relation to the

output attained.
8. Effectiveness: To what extent has the objective(s) been

achieved?
9. Impact: To what extent was the ‘effort’ or the project

making any difference?
NOTE
Indicators have to be suggested, negotiated,

adapted and approved.
Examples of Qualitative Indicators
− Level of
− Presence of
− Evidence of
− Availability of
− Quality of
− Accessibility of
− Existence of
− Sustainability of
− Improvement of
− Ability to (e.g. skills)
− Potential of
Examples of Quantitative Indicators
• Number of
• Proportion of
• Percentage of
• Amount of
• The ratio of
• Length of distance
• Weight of
• Size of
• Areas of/spread of
• Value of
Conceptual Framework for Ordering Indicators
Indicators Examples
Process Indicators Availability, accessibility
Output Indicators Activity, productivity, use of services, utilization of resources,

quality
Outcome Indicators Coverage, efficiency, efficacy
Impact Indicators Effectiveness, impact

Steps in Selecting Performance Indicators
1. Clarify the results statements
- Carefully scrutinize the results desired.
- Be clear about what type of change is expected

from the project/programme
- Clarify whether the expected change is an absolute change, a

relative change, or no change.
- Absolute changes involve the creation or introduction of

something new.
- Relative changes involve increases, decreases, improvements,

strengthening or weakening.
- No Change involves the maintenance, protection or

preservation of something that is considered fine as
is.
- Be clear about where change should appear (e.g.

children underfive, mothers of child bearing age,
etc).
- Identify the specific targets for change.
- Some activities will produce the desired change

directly while other will produce it indirectly.
For instance,
 Activities to develop micro-enterprises aim to increase
employment directly.
 Activities to reform economic policies may have the

same effect, but less directly.
2. Develop a list of possible indicators
In selecting indicators, don’t settle too quickly on the

first that come obviously to mind.
3. Assess each possible indicator

Assess and judge each possible indicator for its
appropriateness in measuring the expected
result/or change.
4. Select the ‘best’ performance indicators
- Narrow the list to the final indicators that will be used in the performance
measurement.
- Be selective. Remember the costs involved in data collection and analysis.
- Limit the number of indicators used to track each result to a few (at least (1-2).
M&E Indicator Plan
Results Outcome/Key Unit of Baseline Baseline Target Source of data Responsible LINK TO
output measure year value Agency or INTER’NAL
indicators Department OBLIGATION
(SDGS)
2019 2020
SECTOR: e.g. Public Administration
SECTOR GOAL: Improve service delivery to the public
Outcome 1: Customer Percentage 2017 35 45 55 Customer Public SDG 16

Improved satisfaction satisfaction survey Administration
service level reports Dept
delivery
Output 1.1: Number of Number 2017 20 25 30 MOU signed Public SDG 17

Partnership partnerships Administration
s established Dept
established
Performance Targets
Once a set of suitable indicators has been defined for

a programme or project, the next step is to specify
what level of performance the programme will strive
to achieve.
This involves specifying suitable performance targets

relative to current baselines.
 The baseline is the current level of performance that

the institution aims to improve.
Contact:
Dr. Nzomo Mwita, PhD
Senior Consultant-Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)
E-mail: nzomom@yahoo.com
Phone: +254 721 440462

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AMREF INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (AMIU)

Dr. Nzomo Mwita, PhD

 Indicators are either qualitative or quantitative criteria/or

 Performance indicators are measures of project impacts,

 They are also used later to evaluate a project’s success.

 Inappropriate indicators can doom a M&E system.

• Inappropriate indicators can doom an information

 The criteria for selection of indicators include:

2. Consistency: The values of the indicators should stay

3. Specificity: Indicators should measure specific

It will be impossible to assume that it is only the

5. Ease of data collection: The collection of the data

Feuerstein (1986) argues that indicators can help to determine

1. Availability of something e.g. availability of service.

2. Relevance of that service in relation to people’s needs and

4. Level of utilization of services by target population e.g. how

5. Range of coverage of those who need a particular

6. Quality or standard of service

7. Efficiency: levels in the use of resources in relation to the

8. Effectiveness: To what extent has the objective(s) been

9. Impact: To what extent was the ‘effort’ or the project

Indicators have to be suggested, negotiated,

Process Indicators Availability, accessibility

Output Indicators Activity, productivity, use of services, utilization of resources,

Outcome Indicators Coverage, efficiency, efficacy

Impact Indicators Effectiveness, impact

1. Clarify the results statements

- Carefully scrutinize the results desired.

- Be clear about what type of change is expected

- Clarify whether the expected change is an absolute change, a

- Absolute changes involve the creation or introduction of

- Relative changes involve increases, decreases, improvements,

- No Change involves the maintenance, protection or

- Be clear about where change should appear (e.g.

- Identify the specific targets for change.

- Some activities will produce the desired change

 Activities to reform economic policies may have the

2. Develop a list of possible indicators

In selecting indicators, don’t settle too quickly on the

3. Assess each possible indicator

4. Select the ‘best’ performance indicators

- Be selective. Remember the costs involved in data collection and analysis.

SECTOR: e.g. Public Administration

SECTOR GOAL: Improve service delivery to the public

Outcome 1: Customer Percentage 2017 35 45 55 Customer Public SDG 16

Output 1.1: Number of Number 2017 20 25 30 MOU signed Public SDG 17

Once a set of suitable indicators has been defined for

This involves specifying suitable performance targets

 The baseline is the current level of performance that

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