WHO/CDC Indicators Inventory for Monitoring and Evaluating Micronutrient Interventions
The Indicator Inventory is an up-to-date, interactive, user-friendly, and comprehensive resource for those who are actively engaged in providing technical assistance in evaluation of micronutrient interventions.
There is considerable variation in indicators used to define micronutrient deficiency limiting comparability across programs and over time. The Indicator Inventory provides a comprehensive source of potential indicators with standard definitions from which programs can choose when designing monitoring and evaluation plans. Ideally, dissemination and wide-spread use of the Indicator Inventory will increase the standardization of indicators and increase consistency and comparability across programs.
The primary audience of the Indicator Inventory is experts with skills and experience designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation plans, particularly those who are actively engaged in providing technical assistance in monitoring and evaluation of vitamin and mineral programs. The Indicator Inventory is a reference tool for experts.
Objectives
The objective of the Indicator Inventory Toolkit for Monitoring and Evaluation of Micronutrient Intervention Programs (referred to as the Indicator Toolkit) is to provide an interactive and user-friendly comprehensive source of process and impact indicators used in monitoring and evaluation of vitamin and mineral interventions.
Problem being addressed:
In current practice, for a given project individuals, programs, and agencies generally develop indicators independently or refer to internal documents during indicator development. There is considerable variation in the indicators used and their definitions, and this limits comparability across programs. The Indicator Toolkit will provide a comprehensive source of potential indicators with standard definitions that programs can choose from when designing monitoring and evaluation systems. Ideally, dissemination and wide-spread use of the Indicator Toolkit will increase the standardization of indicator definitions and increase consistency and comparability across programs.
The Indicator Toolkit will attempt to be comprehensive and include all indicators identified by the workgroup. Recognizing that countries and programs have a wide range of abilities, resources, and objectives, at the inception of this project the expectation is that there are no exclusion criteria and all indicators identified will be included.
The vast majority of these indicators will not have a documented evidence base supporting their validity, reliability, feasibility or utility in the field. Historically there has been minimal monitoring and evaluation of vitamin and mineral interventions and large knowledge gaps exist, particularly for process and short and mid term outcomes. Most information about indicators comes from practice based evidence that is not widely disseminated or standardized. Ideally, this toolkit will be a repository for indicators currently being or previously used, as well as those conceptualized by the workgroup. It is the working group’s intention that the Indicator Toolkit will be an evolving resource that allows users to report their experiences using indicators in the field, contribute new indicators, and increase the sharing and development of the evidence base.