Performance Measurement Framework for the Development Education Strategy 2017-2023

The PMF will generate a comprehensive dataset on which to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness, contribute to future decision-making and provide a strong evidence base for the sector and other stakeholders. Implementing organisations will collect the data and all development education initiatives funded by Irish Aid (Annual, Multi-annual and Programme Grant) will report using the PMF.

The indicators within the PMF aim to be appropriate and meaningful, in order to adequately reflect the current context and to capture change in an accessible way. Indicators were designed to be sufficiently simple, intelligible, easily interpreted in practice and intuitive, in the sense that it is obvious what the indicator is measuring. The indicators have been developed to be as flexible as possible, in order to capture change from initiatives that have not yet been developed.

Indicators are observable or measurable items that tell us about the performance of the programme.1 However, indicators are not infallible, they only capture change at these particular reference points. This PMF provides the structure to collect and maintain a strong evidence base for the sector and beyond. Although it is deemed that these indicators will capture significant change, provide a comprehensive dataset on which to evaluate the strategy’s effectiveness and contribute to decision-making in the future, there may be unforeseen changes and changes that are too incremental for indicators to adequately reflect. For example: two people may report that accessing a development education activity has changed their behaviour, one of them may now only buy Fairtrade produce while the other may make profound, influencing career choices. These are both valid changes and both will be captured by the PMF but only at their base level. While the PMF will be the means to report on progress, it is recognised that there are additional ways to document change. Therefore, organisations are encouraged to continue to find innovative ways to reflect their progress on the ground.

It is currently not possible to collect data on every indicator included in the PMF. In the case of indicators that are not currently viable, data collected during the first year will provide the future baseline. Monitoring should be timely with minimal time lag between the collection and reporting of data to ensure that indicators are reporting current rather than historical information.

The following disaggregating data should also be submitted by partners to provide a more comprehensive view of development education in Ireland to substantiate decision-making.

• individual data: please specify age group,2 gender, geographic location of any related follow-on activity led by learner (if known)
• education/outreach/event data: please specify the type of intervention, the relevant sector, the duration of the intervention and its geographic location

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