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narrowly defined by outsiders’ concepts of impacts. The chosen indicators might not be the most
important ones for other stakeholders, and so the results of the impact assessment may not be
accepted.
The sharing of indicators can thus be a valuable exercise in partnership and consensus building. A
commonly agreed upon set of indicators reflects a shared understanding of problems, goals and
strategies. Sharing ensures greater agreement and “buy in” among all partners and stakeholders
involved in the project (UNDP, 2002).
The process of stakeholder participation will require careful planning, and wherever possible, the
indicator selection process needs to be explicit, for example, using a predetermined checklist from
which participants select the indicators, or carrying out a participatory brainstorming session to then
progressively narrow down and prioritise a set of indicators (Mayoux, 2001). During this process it is
also important to acknowledge and address power relations between stakeholders.
T9.7 Practical Considerations
The use of indicators is integral to good social impact assessment frameworks. However, even with
this guidance in mind, it is important to remember that indicators are only indicators, and are never
an end in themselves, nor are they necessarily the final proof. But indicators that are carefully
considered and shared among partners and stakeholders are far better than guesswork or individual
opinion. The important thing, in the end, is how indicators are used as part of the project
implementation process and how they can help make better decisions.
In summary, in the selection of indicators it is important to bear in mind that:
• Both quantitative and qualitative aspects should be measured, e.g. it is not enough to know
how many people have been trained, we also need to know what they have learned, and
whether they are successfully applying their new knowledge
• No one type of indicator or observation is inherently better than another; its suitability
depends on how it relates to the result it intends to describe
• More information is not necessarily better, and collecting too much information can waste
scarce resources
• Indicators are partial and selective. Underlying values inevitably influence the selection of
any particular set of indicators
Main Sources and Further Guidance
CIFOR. 2001. The Criteria and Indicators Toolbox Series No. 1.
GEF. 2000. Measuring Results from Climate Change Programs: Performance Indicators for GEF.
Monitoring and Evaluation Working Paper 4.
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