Campaigns to End Violence against Women and Girls - Virtual ...

4. Choose benchmarks and indicators wisely and sparingly. Do not overload
yourself with excessive data gathering. There is always a trade-off between effective
use of the resources available and scientific rigor.
5. Determine time-lines and responsibilities. What data needs to be collected and
analyzed by whom, when and how? Data for monitoring must be collected and
recorded regularly so as to yield meaningful information for the intended users.
6. Determine how to share findings within the campaign team and beyond – at which
intervals, in which forms (written reports, staff meetings, workshops or other forms of
communication).
7. Create an atmosphere of openness and trust in monitoring and evaluation
activities. There should not be any “right” or “wrong” answers to questions asked in
monitoring or evaluation; both positive and negative critique should be valued
equally. Reward honest feed-back even if it may at times appear discouraging.
8. Promote a culture of regular consultation and feed-back, e.g. through systematic
briefings and debriefings.
9. Follow ethical guidelines applicable to social research and to research on violence
against women and girls in particular.
7.5 INDICATORS
OVERVIEW
An indicator is a “quantitative or qualitative factor or variable that provides a simple
and reliable means to measure achievement, to reflect the changes connected to an
intervention, or to help assess the performance of a development actor” (OECD-DAC,
2002). In simpler terms, an indicator is a pointer that shows, or points to, information
needed for monitoring and evaluation.
Practical Tips: It is generally recommended to design indicators that are SMART – i.e.
specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic and time-bound. To attain basic standards of
scientific rigor, it is recommended to use the additional criteria outlined below:
Effective indicators in data collection are…
� Valid: They measure the phenomenon that they are intended to measure.
� Reliable: They produce similar results when used more than once to measure the
same phenomenon. “Measurable” does not necessarily mean quantitative. In many
cases, qualitative descriptions can capture the information needed more effectively.
� Specific: They measure only the phenomenon they are intended to measure.
� Sensitive: They reflect changes in the status of the phenomenon being studied.
� Operational: They are measurable or quantifiable with developed and tested
definitions and reference standards (adapted from O’Sullivan et al., Johns Hopkins,
2003. A Field Guide to Designing a Health Communication Strategy).
To identify appropriate indicators, a) reflect on how the campaign is to bring about
change (i.e. its activities as set in the strategy) and then b) decide what changes – via
new activities, outputs, outcomes or impact – are expected to be brought about, c) who
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Campaigns December 2011