Monitoring and evaluation - Integrated Water Resource Planning - page 206

in this chapter because of its strong linkage to the design of monitoring and
evaluation.
Performance indicators define how success in achieving objectives and
outputs will be evaluated, and enable this to be quantified in targets. The
World Bank (Team Technologies 2005: 37 onwards) describes performance
measurement as the process of 'identifying the features that define the
actual quantitative, qualitative, timing, cost and place parameters' for the
plan. Performance indicators 'define and measure objectives'. They are a
'description of results, not the conditions necessary to achieve them'. The
Bank recommends that:
O Only the number required to clarify what is to be accomplished should be
used. In general the fewer the better.
O Industry standard indicators should be used where available and
practical.
O Indicators should be measurable in terms of quantity, quality and time.
Sometimes location and cost can also be added. A four step process is
suggested, illustrated by this example:
1 Basic Indicator: Rice yields of small farmers
increased.
2 Add Quantity (how much): Rice yields of small farmers
increased by x bushels (or from x
to y).
3 Add Quality (what kind of change): Rice yields (of same quality as
199x harvest) of small farmers
(owning 3 ha or less) increased by
x bushels (or from x to y).
4 Add Time (by when): Rice yields (of same quality as
199x harvest) of small farmers
(owning 3 ha or less) increased
by x bushels (or from x to y) per
annum starting in 199x harvest.
O Indicators must be practical in terms of ease of use, affordability and
attribution. Is there a methodology and expertise to collect the necessary
monitoring data? Is it affordable? Do the indicators really explain what is
intended to be achieved?
O Where achievement of outputs and objectives can only be assessed on a
long-term basis, leading and process indicators may also be important.
Rather the measuring the result, leading and process indicators signal
whether there is progress being made that should contribute to the result
in order to give confidence (or raise the alarm) during implementation.
O Proxy indicators may be used where more direct indicators are too difficult
or expensive. For example measuring rural income levels may be difficult.
Possible proxy indicators might be suggested by stakeholders, for example
the number of televisions owned.