Specific
State what is measured. “Improve health services” is weak. “Number of maternal health education sessions conducted” is stronger.
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MODULE 6 · LESSON 6.3
Developing SMART Indicators
Estimated time: 30 minutes
6.3.1 What is an indicator?
An indicator is a defined measure used to assess a condition, output, outcome or change. A maternal health programme might use the number of community sessions conducted, the percentage of expected reports submitted, the percentage of participants who demonstrate improved knowledge, or the percentage of eligible pregnant women attending antenatal care, according to the applicable definition. The indicator should be relevant to the objective.
6.3.2 Why are indicators important?
They help ask whether activities are happening, whether outputs meet expectations, whether outcomes are changing, whether places or groups differ, and what must be reported. A poorly defined indicator misleads. One team may count people reached while another counts contacts. Those figures are not comparable.
6.3.3 Understanding SMART indicators
Measurable
Define the method. Programme records can count completed sessions.
Achievable
The target should be realistic for the resources and conditions. Do not choose a target only because it looks impressive.
Relevant
The indicator should relate to the objective. Session counts monitor delivery. They do not, by themselves, show that anyone learned.
Time-bound
Name the period. Example: number of maternal health education sessions conducted between January and March.
Organisations vary slightly in how they word SMART. The test is whether two people would count the same thing.
Project Indicator Reference Sheet
6.3.4 Indicator definitions matter
Where applicable, write the numerator, denominator, unit, reporting period, population or reporting units, data source, collection frequency, and the responsible person or team. Reporting completeness might be reports received divided by reports expected, times 100. The programme must define which reports are expected and which count as received. If those rules change, comparisons mislead.
6.3.5 Output indicators versus outcome indicators
| Output indicator | Outcome indicator |
|---|---|
| Number of education sessions conducted | Percentage of participants demonstrating improved knowledge |
| Number of health workers trained | Percentage of trained workers correctly applying the procedure |
| Number of outreach visits completed | Percentage of targeted people accessing the intended service |
| Number of reports received | Percentage of expected reports received on time, if that is the defined measure |
Output indicators measure delivery. Outcome indicators measure changes the programme intends to influence. They answer different questions.
6.3.6 Do not confuse an indicator with a target
The indicator is the measure: number of health education sessions completed. The target is the desired level: 20 sessions by the end of March. The actual result might be 16. Target achievement is 16 ÷ 20 × 100 = 80%. That does not automatically mean the programme failed overall. Interpret the shortfall and the quality of the work.
Suggested answers
- Which is the strongest example of a time-bound indicator: better health, improve the programme, number of outreach sessions conducted between January and March, or excellent healthcare?
- What is the difference between an indicator and a target?
A well-defined indicator supports consistent collection, analysis and reporting.