Given Hapunda

69 success when we see it?” “Are we moving towards achieving our desired outcomes?” “Travelers also tend to ask similar questions?’, “How will we know we have arrived at our destination?” “Is there a mark or sign that can inform our arrival?” “Are there signage indicating which direction we should take towards our destination?” Type of Indicators There are several types of indicators that can be applied in different situations of a project component or cycle. It is important to use different types while being mindful on their appropriateness. The type of information need and data collection method will to a larger extent determine which type of an indicator to use. Literature reports different types of indicators, including: 1. Simple quantitative indicator - this is a type of an indicator that requires one measurement of a straight forward unit. For example, a number of traditional birth attendants (TBA) trained in prevention of HIV and AIDS mother-child transmission. This indicator measures one thing (tradition birth attendants that were trained). Simple quantitative indicators are the most commonly used because they are easy to formulate and measure. The disadvantage is that they do not give the complete picture. For example, we may be interested in the number of TBAs trained and have been attending to delivering mothers, which a simple indicator will not tell us. To obtain this information we turn to the next type of indicator called complex quantitative indicator. 2. Complex quantitative indicator – this is a type of indicator that requires different bits of information to be measured to answer the performance question. For instance if we add “and have attended to a delivering mother within the last three months” to number of TBAs then the simple quantitative indicator becomes a complex indicator. Without being specific “those attending to a delivering mother in the last three months”, the indicator will remain a simple indicator. 3. Compound quantitative indicator - this type of an indicator requires an adjective or standard that requires to be defined and agreed upon on how it will be measured. For instance, percentage of TBAs who have successfully delivered and prevented mother-to-child HIV and AIDS infection. In this indicator, the adjective “successfully” needs to be defined and agreed upon on how it will be measured. 4. Proxy indicator –an indicator which estimates the proportion of the whole or targeted population. This indicator uses numerators and denominators to be calculated: Number of trained TBAs who have attended to HIV pregnant women X 100 Total number of trained TBAs