Identifying Indicators, Measuring Success, Managing Results

What is meant by Results-based Management?

Many of us are used to a project planning model that looks at overall goals, specific objectives, and activities to meet objectives. The federal government's approach emphasizes managing for results, that is:

• identifying specific, measurable changes that a project will accomplish during its timeframe;
  
• defining, monitoring, and adjusting project inputs and activities as needed to ensure that the desired results are achieved;
  
• reporting on what was achieved and the lessons learned.

Definitions

• Inputs - The human, organizational and physical resources (time, knowledge, energy or money) contributed directly or indirectly by the stakeholders on a project, used to carry out activities, produce outputs and/or accomplish results.
  
• Activities - The coordination, technical assistance and training tasks organized and carried out by project personnel or volunteers. Project activities should be designed to achieve specific results within a certain timeframe. It is recommended that your project partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders participate in defining project activities.
  
• Outputs - Direct products or services stemming from the activities of a project and delivered to a target group or population.

The cause and effect relationship between these concepts is shown in the following diagram:

Results are the impacts that a project has on the priority
group(s)/beneficiaries.

Your project might distinguish between three types of results

Note: While outcomes tend to be sequential, based on time, it is also important that they link back to the previous level of outcome (e.g. intermediate outcomes occur as a result of one or more immediate outcomes).

• Immediate - These are short-term results that represent the consequences of the activities and outputs.
  
• Intermediate - A medium-term developmental result (or change), flowing from the activities and outputs, which occurs as a result of the immediate results having been achieved. You should be able to define how you will measure changes, either quantitatively or qualitatively, compared to the situation before the project began. Results are comparable to a project's objectives, in that they are specific, measurable and should be achieved within a defined time period.
  
• Ultimate (or final) - A long-term developmental result (or change) that is the logical consequence of achieving a combination of immediate and intermediate results. If your project achieves its expected results, and was designed to be sustainable, there is more chance that it will have a long-term impact. However, the impact of a project usually does not become apparent until long after the project has been completed. Impact is comparable to a project's goal, in that it is a long-term, broadly defined vision for change.
  

The diagram above shows the cause and effect relationship between Project/Program Management (Inputs and Activities) and the Results Chain (Outputs and Results).

How to Use Results in Planning a Project

Before you begin to design the project activities, work with your partners to consider what specific results the project can be expected to achieve. This involves:

• assessing where you are starting from (what does the situation look like now);
  
• determining where you are trying to get to (what it will look like at the end of the project); and,
  
• determining, as much as possible, how you will know when you get there.

You may need to collect some baseline information to identify what the situation is now. This information may be quantitative (i.e., how many people are currently engaged in the activity that you are trying to promote, etc.) or qualitative (what attitudes do people hold about a certain subject). The next step is to decide what changes your project can reasonably expect to achieve by the time it is completed. Once you are clear about the results you are seeking, you can design activities that you think will achieve those results. To assess your progress, you should identify indicators that will help you measure the changes that have taken place. The results, rather than the activities, will guide the project. If your monitoring shows that the activities are not getting you where you want to go, re-evaluate and redesign them to achieve the targeted results.

Remember that results may be operational as well as developmental. That is, your partners may develop better ways of managing the project or of working together. These are valid results that should also be documented.

Defining Good Expected Results

a) Set a clear time frame.
Some results may take many years to achieve. It is recommended that you focus on the results you expect to achieve within a specific phase of the project and/or by the end of the project.

b) Include all the project partners.
All the project partners should be involved in determining the results to be achieved within a specific time frame. It is important that your expectations should be in harmony. Project partners and beneficiaries should also take part in assessing progress and revising the activities if progress is not satisfactory.

c) Be precise - think about evaluation.
Remember that you are creating a framework for evaluating your project when you define the results you expect and the indicators for measuring success. Define results that can be assessed, either quantitatively or qualitatively.

d) Be realistic - consider the context.
Your expected results should reflect a good understanding of the context in which the project will take place. Be realistic about what you can accomplish given the conditions and the constraints that may affect the project.

Defining Good Performance Indicators

Indicators should be appropriate for the type of project, its size and complexity. Try to limit the number of indicators to no more than three for each result. Indicators should be:

• clear and simple to use;
  
• relevant and appropriate for the expected results;
  
• useful over the whole life of the project;
  
• based on accurate and reliable information;
  
• cost-effective to carry out;
  
• measured quantitatively when possible (e.g. number of people involved, income etc.);
  
• qualitative when appropriate (e.g. descriptions of changes, personal testimonials etc.);
  
• easy to understand.

The indicators you define should help you assess the on-going progress of your project as well as the end results. Regular feedback, analysis and assessment of outputs will enable you to identify where you need to make adjustments to improve your project. This process is called iterative planning. It will strengthen the project and will improve your organization's capacity to manage for results.

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