How do you measure and report on the effectiveness of recovery interventions?

1 Define your objectives and indicators

Before you start any recovery intervention, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. You need to define your specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives and indicators for each intervention. Objectives are the desired changes or results that you expect from your intervention, while indicators are the observable and verifiable measures that show the progress and achievement of your objectives. For example, if your objective is to restore the livelihoods of disaster-affected farmers, your indicators could be the number of farmers who receive seeds and tools, the increase in crop production and income, and the reduction in food insecurity.

2 Collect and analyze data

Once you have your objectives and indicators, you need to collect and analyze data to track and measure them. You need to decide what types of data you need, how often you will collect them, who will collect them, and how you will store and manage them. You also need to choose the appropriate methods and tools for data collection and analysis, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, case studies, or dashboards. You should use both quantitative and qualitative data to capture the different dimensions and perspectives of your recovery intervention. You should also ensure that your data collection and analysis are ethical, reliable, valid, and transparent.

3 Report and communicate results

The final step is to report and communicate your results to your stakeholders and beneficiaries. You need to prepare and disseminate regular and timely reports that summarize your findings, achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations. You should tailor your reports to the needs and preferences of your audience, using clear and concise language, visual aids, and stories. You should also use different channels and formats to communicate your results, such as newsletters, webinars, social media, podcasts, or infographics. You should also solicit and incorporate feedback from your stakeholders and beneficiaries to improve your recovery intervention and M&E framework.

5 Learn from others' experiences

Another way to improve your recovery M&E framework is to learn from others' experiences and examples. You can consult and collaborate with other organizations, agencies, or networks that have implemented or supported recovery interventions in similar contexts or sectors. You can also access and review existing reports, studies, or databases that showcase good practices, lessons learned, or challenges faced by other recovery actors. Some examples are the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the International Recovery Platform (IRP), the Recovery Monitoring Database (RMD), and the Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX).

6 Adapt and adjust as needed

Finally, you need to recognize that recovery is a dynamic and complex process that requires flexibility and adaptation. You need to monitor and evaluate your recovery intervention not only to measure and report on its effectiveness, but also to identify and address any gaps, challenges, or opportunities that may arise along the way. You need to review and update your objectives, indicators, data collection methods, and reporting formats as needed to reflect the changing needs, priorities, and realities of your disaster-affected community. You need to also use your M&E findings to inform and improve your decision-making, planning, and implementation of your recovery intervention.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?