Module 3: Using Indicators to Measure Progress and Performance
Learning Objectives
• Understand how indicators can be applied to measure progress with IWRM and facilitate cooperation between river basins.
• Appreciate the use of indicators to establish goals and measure performance.
1. Introduction
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) has been the basis of water sector reforms in many countries and has been widely proposed as a process or an approach to guide countries towards more sustainable management of water resources. Reforms in water resources management have been carried out to manage water at the river basin level or catchment level because of the importance of upstream – downstream relationship of water resources.
The question that arises very quickly when addressing sustainable management of water resources, whether through an IWRM approach or not, is “how do we know progress is being made?” This is a very important question as it links to the suitability and effectiveness of laws and institutions and also the strategies and approach being used. Given the core principles behind the IWRM approach of Economic efficiency, social equity and environmental sustainability we have no way to make these visible and test them unless there is a method to answer the question posed above.
Indicators are one approach to measure progress. In this module indicators are used to measure the expected ‘outcomes’ of water resources management and not the process. The term ‘minimum indicators’ is used in recognition that:
It is better to start with a small set of indicators that are feasible to monitor and to improve over time; and
There are many other indicators that could be used to measure progress beyond this basic level.
This module will:
• Define indicators and how they are used;
• Present the criteria for the development of indicators;
• Relate the minimum set of indicators to water resources management functions; and
• Propose a minimum set of indicators for measuring progress towards sustainable management of water resources.
2. Indicators and their Use
Indicators provide an effective tool to measure progress and performance.
An indicator is the representation of a trend tracking the measurable change in a system over time. Generally an indicator focuses on a small, manageable set of information that gives a sense of the bigger picture.