Prof.

Mugisha david begumya

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 3
PROJECT PLANNING:
•Output Indicators
•Outcome indicators
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 Results Indicators: What they are and
how to use them
• Results indicators define essential characteristics of the outcome-based
objectives of the project (an outcome-based objective, also known as
result, is a statement of the effect that a project has on the community).
These characteristics ensure that the project’s outcome-based objectives
are “S.M.A.R.T.” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-
bound). Results indicators can be quantitative, qualitative, or more
commonly, a mixture of both. Moreover, results indicators show how
much or how well outcome-based objectives are being or have been
achieved; and thus verify the accomplishment of the project’s underlying
overall goal. Thus, by tracking performance indicators project teams
could make timely and better-informed decisions when determining
whether a project is on track or whether implementation correctives are
needed.

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 Outputs or outcomes?
• Results indicators in the logical framework include both: outputs and
outcomes, resulting from the activities of the project. Outputs are the goods,
services, knowledge, skills, attitudes and enabling environment that are
delivered by the project as a result of the activities undertaken. In one word,
they are the product of the activity. Outcomes, on the other hand, go beyond
and seek to demonstrate to what extent the successful delivery and reception
of outputs is impacting the quality of life of the people served. They are the
impact of the activity.

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 Example.
• An output of increased school capacity could be reported as additional
classrooms built but an outcome would be primarily concerned with
demonstrating that the output had indeed contributed to actually having
more students in the classrooms.
• Thus, outputs should be demonstrably and effectively received by the
intended people served following the successful completion of activities
while outcomes would indicate that the expected change(s) in identifiable
behaviours by the people served have been realized in response to the
successful delivery and reception of these outputs.
• A results indicator normally specifies several elements, – albeit not in any
particular order. When developing a results indicator consider these
elements, but then use your best judgment as to what is appropriate given
your situation.

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• A brief description of these elements follows:
• Type of service describes the means to achieve the
planned change
• Quantity specifies the increase/decrease of the level of
the type of services involved.
• Quality refers to the national, international or other
standards that this change will hopefully adhere to.
• People Served refers to which groups of people will
benefit from the projects.
• Target describes the planned improvement across the
total life of the project in terms of people or resources
for this results indicator.
• Timeline specifies the period when the target for the
results indicator is expected to be achieved.
• Baseline refers to the comparison between the target
and past performance for the results indicator.
• Level outcome or output level indicators
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Example of how to write a results indicator as a full sentence
By December 2022 (timeline), 20 new workshops (target) up from
4 workshops organized during 2021 (baseline) are offered to 30
Male and 20 Female (25-50 years-old) refugee teachers in Nduta,
Tanzania (people served) who will enjoy increased access
(quantity) to accredited (quality) teacher training (type of
service).
Formulating Results Indicators

Objective: To improve teaching effectiveness of refugee teachers

through increasing their skills in lesson plan development
techniques by providing teacher training workshops

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Quantity Quality People Served Target Timeline Baseline Level

Increase Teacher training

30 Male and 20 20 workshops
participation in workshops 4 workshops were
Female (25-50 years- have been By December
teacher accredited by the organized during Ouput
old) refugee teachers organized 2022
training Ministry of 2021
in Nduta, Tanzania
workshops. Education.

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How can we transform this output indicator into an outcome?

How this Results Indicator would read: By December 2022, 20 new

workshops up from 4 workshops organized during 2021 are offered to 30
Male and 20 Female refugee teachers in Nduta, Tanzania who will enjoy
increased access to accredited teacher training.

Objective: To improve teaching effectiveness of refugee teachers through

increasing their skills in lesson plan development techniques by providing
teacher training workshops

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Quantity Quality People Served Target Timeline Baseline Level

Increased use of
refugee teachers 5 Male and 5 Female 2 teachers
knowledge
implemented session (25-50 years-old) implemented school
learned during Session lesson plans By December 2022 Outcome
lesson plans developed refugee teachers in session lesson plans
teacher training
during training Nduta, Tanzania during 2021
workshops

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What is the difference? In the first case (output) we are stating that 20 workshops
have been organised for 50 teachers so that they can access qualified training.
However, we are not saying whether or not the training has served to improve their
pedagogical skills. We are not talking about the impact of the training.
In the second case (outcome) we are saying that 10 of the 50 trained teachers have
increased their knowledge through workshops. This time, we are talking about the
impact that the training has had on the people served.

How this Results Indicator would read: By December 2022, 10 refugee teachers up
from 2 teachers during 2021 representing 5 male and 5 female (25-50 years-old)
teachers in Nduta, Tanzania increase their use of knowledge acquired during
accredited teacher training in their school settings

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Results Based Monitoring (RBM)

“It is better to be approximately right than precisely wrong”

- John Maynard Keynes -

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RBM as a development and monitoring tool

• What is this RBM?

• It is an exercise to assess the performance of a project/ program (or an
organization) on the basis of the impacts and benefits (Results!) that it is
expected to produce.

• It is a continuous process of collecting and assessing information on the

results or changes that a project/ program (or an organization) is
producing;

• compare that information with expected results/ changes that the

project/ program (or the organization) supposed produce;

• and understand how well or not, the project/ program (or the
organization) performing against the expected results/ changes!

Contd….. 12
• Why we want RBM as our tool for M&E?

• The traditional, implementation focused M&E methods/ approaches

only look at delivery or completion of the tasks/ activities, outputs/
objectives of a project/ program or an organization (those ask, did they
do it? did they managed to complete it?)

• But the above M&E methods/ approaches do not allow the managers/
administrators/ stakeholders to know about the successes and/ or
failures of a project/ program or an organization!

Contd….. 13
• If we could not know success and failures, the following situation might
happen:

• If you do not measure results, you cannot tell success from failure.

• If you cannot see success, you cannot reward it.

• If you cannot reward success, you are probably rewarding failure.

• If you cannot see success, you cannot learn from it.

• If you cannot recognize failure, you cannot correct it.

• If you can demonstrate results, you can win public support.

- Osborne & Gaebler 1992 -

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Principles of RBM

• What good things that it brings to us?

• It provides a feedback on the actual outcomes (results) of a project’s/

program’s or an organization’s actions.

• It helps us to answer the following questions:

• What are the goals/ outputs expected to achieve by the project/
program or the organization?

• Are they being really achieved?

• How are we going to know when they are really achieved?

Contd….. 15
• What are the basics of RBM?

• Baseline data to describe the problem or situation before the project

• Develop indicators for the outputs as well as outcomes of the project
• Collect data that is relevant to outputs and outcomes of the project
• Involve the stakeholders for understanding the changes that take place
in the project environment
• Reports on more qualitative and quantitative information on the
progress toward outcomes
• Involvement of strategic partners/ stakeholders in M&E
• Captures information on success or failure the project strategy in
achieving desired outcomes

- Fukuda-Parr, Lopes, and Malik 2002 -

Contd….. 16
What is RBM model?

Goals/ Impacts/ Long-term, widespread impacts/ improvements in

Benefits the society/ project surrounding or environment
Results

Intermediate effects of the outputs on the

Outcomes/ beneficiaries/ Right-holders/ stakeholders of the
Use of Outputs project

Outputs Products and services produced by the project

Implementation

Tasks that the project personnel undertake to

Activities transform inputs to outputs

Financial, human, and material resources of the

Inputs project

Contd….. 17
• How are we going to use this model?

– Tow levels of monitoring

• Implementation monitoring (“means and strategies”): use annual

operational/ activity plans, work schedules (works-breaks
structures), and personnel and financial management schedules
and standards

• Results monitoring: use “performance indicators” set according to

outcomes, that are given in a project mandate and developed by
a project team

– Setting up of outcome targets: set according to the capacity of

“means strategies” (inputs, activities, and outputs)

Contd….. 18
• Setting up outcomes?

– Translation of problems/ issues as positive statements of expected

impacts/ results

– Disaggregate to capture the key results (to have only one

improvement area)

– In setting an outcome, asks the following questions:

• For whom?
• Where?
• How much?
• By when?

Contd….. 19
What is the link between the Implementation Monitoring and Results Monitoring?

• Use annual plans- used for

Outcome
effectively using the “means
& strategies” of a project.

Information
• Effective use of the “means

flow
& strategies” will assure
achieving the outputs, and
finally outcomes and
Target impacts!
• By looking at the “targets” a
project can take a decision
Information

on how and how much to

flow

utilize the overall input

allocation for particular
Means and budget period.
strategies

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• Setting up indicators?

– What is an indicator? A sign/ mark to show that there has been a

changed occurred due an activity/s of a project.

– Having indicators at all levels of the implementation and results

monitoring is important to measure the progress/ performance

– Outcome indicators (key performance indicators):

• Translate outcomes into outcome indicators
• These indicators should be “CREAM”:
– C = clear/ precise
– R = relevant
– E = economic/ cost effective
– A = adequate
– M= monitorable (can use for monitoring)
– Proxy (indirect) indicators: use only when direct indicators are not
available or handling is too costly (happiness in marriage?)
Contd….. 21
Key steps in setting up a RBM system for a project?

Select/ develop key Baseline data on the

Develop/ agree on indicators for indicators
outcomes monitoring the (Where are we
outcomes today?)

Update baseline and

Collect information
continue M&E
and monitoring for
according to a
results
schedule/ plan

Adopt changes if Report findings and Assess information

needed and report communicate and evaluate results
back the same

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THANK YOU!

23
 DISCUSS THE EFFICACY OF ONE OF AU
FLAGSHIP PROJECTS
• 1. Integrated High Speed Train Network (Imam & Amin)
• 2. Formulation of an African Commodities Strategy (Dorcas & Rosette)
• 3.Establishment of the African Continental Free Area {Acfta} (Peter & Giir)
• 4. The African Passport and Free Movement of People (Kareem, Ida & Sumaya)
• 5. Implementation of the Grand Inga Dam (Asha & Ibrahim)
• 6. Establishment of a single African Air Transport Market {Saatm} (Suhan,
Abdirashid & Yusuf)
• 7. Establishment of Annual African Economic Forum (Muhamed Ahmed & Adan)
• 8. Establishment of the African Financial Institutions (Abdirisak & Abduali)
• 9. The Pan African E-Network (Faysal & Abdulkadir)
• 10. Africa Outer Space Strategy (Abdifatah & Zakariye)
• 11. An African Virtual and E-University (Muhamed Abdulkadir & Abdirahman)
• 12. Cyber Security (Ibrahim Sahal & Omony Deogratious)
• 13. Great African Museum (Naweza & Christine) 24

• 14. Encyclopedia Africana (Najma, Najma, Shukri)