Developing Transnational Project Indicators

The purpose of indicators > Indicators are useful tools that allow programme and project managers to monitor: - Progress - Efficiency - Effectiveness

The purpose of indicators 2 The CADSES programme will use your indicators to measure your achievements. The indicators you choose must give an accurate picture of what you are doing.

The purpose of indicators 3 > You can also use indicators within the partnership.Use targets to define delivery responsibilities and quality requirements. For example: ”Partner 3 is responsible for: Development of 3 new technologies to reduce mercury levels in Lake X by 50% by 2007.” …This transparency makes project work much easier.

Basic Terminology Activities – The work done in your project Input – The resources you use to carry out the activities Outputs – What your project produces/delivers Results – The immediate benefits Impacts – The long-term benefits

For example... Activity: Writing a report Input: 300 staff hours, € Output: Report on spatial development in CADSES area Result: Increased awareness of spatial development issues in CADSES area Impact: Improved policies based on this new knowledge

Role of Transnational indicators Output – Result – Impact Documents (analytical, strategic) Meetings (seminars, workshops, conferences) Output Networking (administration, research, private sector, countries) Learning (spatial development, foreign systems) Result European integration Spatial development perspectives Impact European Policies Interreg CADSES Projects Others…

The limitations of indicators 1 > Indicators cannot give a full picture of your project – they can only provide a snapshot of the status of some of the work being done. > Therefore, the first decision is to decide WHAT to measure: what are the interesting and important parts of the project?

The limitations of indicators 2 It is often impossible to measure the long- term benefit (the impact) of a project within the lifetime of that project. Projects must still provide indicators of what the expected impacts are and how it would be possible to measure them in future. Sometimes it may only be possible to state that the project will make a contribution to achieving change. This happens when it is impossible to differentiate the impact of the project from the impact of other activities.

The need for logical connection between indicators GOOD (Clear connections) Output: New filters at water treatment plant -> Result: Nitrate levels in water fall by 50% -> Impact: Fish stocks in river increase by 25% BAD (No logical connection) Output: Analysis of transport systems Result: Networking between transport workers Impact: Less pollution from trucks

Indicators must also be S.M.A.R.T S – Specific M – Measurable A – Achievable R – Relevant T – Timed

Specific GOOD -Tourism SMEs in target area have 25% increase in turnover BAD - Business performance is better

Measurable GOOD: - Increase in number areas with access to broadband internet services. (km 2 ) Achievable GOOD: -25% crime reduction in pilot project area BAD: - No crime in pilot project area

Relevant... to the project’s and programme’s objectives Timed... stating when something should happen. For example, “Increase in number of visitors to region by end of project / by end 2010 / in 2006, etc”.

Other indicator essentials Indicators are quantitative. 1.They need a UNIT so we know what is being measured. 2.A BASELINE so we know the figure at the start of the project. 3.A TARGET so we know the figure that the project hopes to achieve.

For example Increase in amount of freight (tonnes) carried by boat on River X by end of (Current amount = 1.7 million. Estimate by end 2007 = 2 million) UNIT BASELINE TARGET

Qualitative indicators Although indicators should be quantitative, a qualitative statement will sometimes say more about the project. If you use this kind of indicator you still need to find some way of measuring the qualitative change.

Qualitative indicators 2 For example: ”Improvement in quality of life (% of residents measured by survey in May 2008)” Like every other project, this one will also have to budget for data collection to measure performance on this indicator.

Conclusions: Good indicators must be… Directly related to the project’s most important objectives. Logically structured SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timed) Provided with a unit, baseline and target Necessary data collection should be included in project budgets