Create & Manage Indicators

Owned by Harshula Jhala
Last updated: Dec 20, 2023 by Harshula Jhala

This page covers:

Create Project Indicator Records

There are two ways to create Project Indicator records (i.e. add Indicators to your Project):

Add Project Indicators from the Indicators Catalog

This is when users get to select or add Project Indicators to their Project by selecting the Indicators from a catalog of standard Indicators that already exist in the system.

Create a custom Project Indicator for your Project

This is when users get to add custom Project Indicators for their Project and even select if they then want this new Indicator to be added to the catalog of Indicators.

Create Project Indicators from the Indicator Catalog

  1. Navigate to the Project and then to the Indicators tab. There should be a tab labeled “Indicators Catalog”. Select the Indicators that you’d like to add to your Project and click the “Add Selected” button to add them.

  2. Review the Indicators Catalog table by referencing the “Indicator Definition” column.

    1. Click on the Indicator to see more details about it.

    2. Indicators are sorted alphabetically by default but this can be modified by filling out the “Indicator Order” field when creating Indicators. Reach out to your System Admin if you require additional Indicator record sorting.

    3. Visualforce Page Only 10 Indicators are displayed on a single page and you can only select and add the Indicators from the current page before navigating to the next page.

    4. Lightning Web Component Indicators can be selected across pages in the Indicator Catalog, so that more than 10 Indicators may be selected and added to a Project. A badge in the bottom left will display the number of selected Project Indicators.

  3. Search for and filter Indicator records using the QuickSearch bar.

    1. The search and filter functionality allows you to narrow down on specific Indicators from the catalog to select the appropriate ones for your Project.

    2. Visualforce PageClicking on the “Show More” Filters expands the search filters configured for your system.

    3. Lightning Web Component The interface in the Lightning Web Component is slightly different:

  4. Select the appropriate Indicators and add them to your Project.

    1. Once you have reviewed all the Indicators and selected the appropriate ones, you can add them to your Project and start setting targets and adding results.

Create a custom Project Indicator for your Project

  1. Navigate to the Project and then to the Indicators tab. There should be a tab labeled “Selected Indicators” with a button labeled “Add New Custom Indicator”.

  2. Clicking on this button opens a pop-up* that allows the user to create a new Project Indicator.

    1. *Visualforce PageThe Visualforce page pop-up is slightly different but functions in a similar manner to the Lightning Web Component.

  3. Complete the fields in the pop-up to create create a new Project Indicator. Review some of the following sections for guidance on making the appropriate selections when creating Project Indicators:

    1. Indicators to learn more about Data Types and Type of Results

    2. Project Geographic Areas: Assign Geographic Areas to your Project to learn more about Geographic Areas

    3. Reporting Periods: Create & Assign Reporting Periods for your Project to learn more about Reporting Periods

    4. Disaggregation Groups & Disaggregation Values: Slice and Dice Indicators to learn more about Disaggregation Groups

      The table given below provides more information in filling out the pop-up. Not that the fields marked as Mandatory need to be populated in order to create a custom Indicator.

Field Name

How to populate the field.

Field Name

How to populate the field.

Indicator Definition
(Mandatory)

Write the the name/number/identification of the Indicator that will be displayed while reporting on the Indicator.

Data Type
(Mandatory)

Select from the values in the dropdown. Read more on the Indicators page. Note that the Data Type cannot be edited once the Indicator is created.

Type of Results (Mandatory)

Select from the values in the dropdown. Read more on the Indicators page

Reporting Currency

Displayed only when the “Data Type” field is set to Currency.

Select from the currency options available in the dropdown.

Reporting Frequency
(Mandatory)

Select the frequency (duration) at which Results or actuals will be reported for the Indicator.
For example, if the Reporting Frequency has been set to “Annually” then the Results for that Indicator will be reported for Annual Reporting Periods like 2023, 2024 etc. that have been created in the Project.

Target Frequency

Select the frequency (duration) for which Targets will be reported for the Indicator.
For example, if the Target Frequency has been set to “Monthly” then the Targets for that Indicator will be reported for Monthly Reporting Periods like Feb 2023, March 2023 etc. that have been created in the Project.

The Target and Reporting frequency could be different or the same.

If the organization sets Targets and reports Results at the same frequency then only the Reporting Frequency field might be used. However, for some Project Indicators, organizations might want to set Targets annually but report Results quarterly.

This allows them to track their progress toward their goals over time. The defined Target and Result frequencies will determine which Project Indicators are available for data entry on the Set Targets and Add Results pages for specific time periods. To see what this looks like you can also review the Set Targets and Add Results sections.

Geographical Disaggregation
(Mandatory)

Select if the Indicator is reported for a Country/State/Region etc.
For example, if the Geographical Area is set to Country, then Targets/Results can be reported for that Indicator for all Country type of Geographic Areas that exist in the Project. Refer to Project Geographic Areas: Assign Geographic Areas to your Project to learn more about Geographic Areas

Disaggregation Group

Select from the disaggregation groups visible in the dropdown. Refer to Disaggregation Groups & Disaggregation Values: Slice and Dice Indicators to learn more about Disaggregation Groups.

The Indicator results will then be disaggregated by the selected group.
For example, if the Disaggregation Group is Age, then the results for the Indicator can be reported for individual disaggregated values like 0-25, 26-50, and 51+.

Cross Disaggregation by Sex

Check the checkbox if the Indicator needs to be disaggregated by sex.
The Indicator results will then be disaggregated by sex.
For example, for an Indicator “Number of Beneficiaries” if this checkbox is checked, then organizations can report results for Male, Female and Unknown/Other sex disaggregated values.

Targets Are Disaggregated?

Only Applicable if the Indicator is disaggregated. (ie. either the Disaggregation Group field is populated or the Cross Disaggregation by Sex field is checked OR both)

Check the checkbox if the Targets for the particular Indicator also need to disaggregated in the same way as the Results. This will ensure that both Targets and Results for the Indicator are disaggregated according to the selections made in the fields - “Cross Disaggregation by Sex” & “Targets Are Disaggregated?” .

Technical Stuff: Target values will be Disaggregated only when the “Targets are Disaggregated?” checkbox field is checked when the Project Indicator is created.

If the “Cross-Disaggregation by Sex” checkbox field is checked or the “Disaggregation Group” field has a value, but the “Targets are Disaggregated?” checkbox field not checked, Results will be Disaggregated, but Targets will not be disaggregated. 

Calculate Total

Only Applicable if the Indicator is disaggregated. (ie. either the Disaggregation Group field is populated or the Cross Disaggregation by Sex field is checked OR both)

Select Sum Total if the total of all the disaggregated values for Indicator Targets/Results needs to be calculated.

Select Don’t Sum Total if the total of disaggregated values does not need to be calculated.

Guidelines

Enter other helpful information about the Indicator or how to fill out its Targets/Results. This information is visible on the Set Targets and Add Results pages.

Has Baseline?

Check the checkbox if Baseline values need to be reported for the Indicator.

Include in Catalog

Check the checkbox if the Indicator should be added to the catalog and made available for the use of other projects. If the field is unchecked, the Project Indicator will only be added to the “Selected Indicators” table for the current Project. If this Indicator is later removed from the Project, then it will display in the Indicator Catalog for that Project only, and it does not display in the Indicator Catalog for any other Projects. 

Aim

Only Applicable if stoplights feature is used.

Select Increase if the progress is measured by an increase in the indicator result. For example: Number of children that scored above 80 %

Select Decrease if the progress is measured by a decrease in the indicator result. For example: Number of children that failed.

Reporting Picklist Values

Only Displayed if Data Type is selected as Picklist

Define the picklist values using this field. For example if an Indicator “Air Pollution” is measured using values “Low, Medium, High”, then enter these values in the field such that each individual value is separated by a semicolon.

Map Picklist Values to Number
&
Numbers Mapped To Picklist Values

Only Displayed if Data Type is selected as Picklist and “Reporting Picklist Values” field is populated.

The Reporting Picklist Values can also be mapped to numerical values
by checking the “Map Picklist Values To Number” checkbox field and ensuring that the “Numbers Mapped To Picklist Values” field specifies the
corresponding numerical mapping.

Set Up Target Validation Ranges

Validation ranges for Project Indicators facilitate better data quality. This feature allows users to set a minimum and maximum value for Quantitative Indicators (where the “Data Type” is either Number, Currency, or Percent) to be able to check if the Target values entered in the input fields are within the range of expected values. Read more about setting Targets here. To utilize this feature, the fields “Validation Range Minimum” and “Validation Range Maximum” must be populated on the Project Indicators.

For Example, a Project Indicator called Number of trainees should ideally have a Target value between 100 to 500 for a particular organization. In that case the “Validation Range Minimum” field should be set to 100 and “Validation Range Maximum” field should be set to 500.

Setting Validation Ranges will not prevent a user from saving data outside of the Validation Range. It simply gives them a warning and flags the input.

Set Up Indicator Performance Stoplights LIGHTNING WEB COMPONENT

Stoplight icons allow users to view Results’ performance compared to Targets at a glance on the Add Result table. These icons can only be used if Targets are set for the specific Project Indicator. Read more about setting Targets and adding Results.

Here is what is looks like:

Here are the fields that should be populated on the Project Indicator:

  • “Aim”

  • “% Threshold Between Red and Yellow” and 

  • “% Threshold Between Yellow and Green”

Display of Red, Yellow, or Green Stoplight for a Result value

If the Project Indicator’s parent Indicator’s Aim field value is set to increase, the calculation formula is: Result Value / Target Value x 100:

  • If the calculation is greater than or equal to Threshold Between Yellow and Green, a green stoplight icon is displayed

  • If the calculated value is less than the Threshold Between Yellow and Green but greater than or equal to Threshold Between Red and Yellow, a yellow stoplight icon is displayed.

  • If the calculated value is less than the Threshold Between Red and Yellow, a red stoplight icon is displayed.

If the Project Indicator’s parent Indicator’s Aim field value is set to decrease, the calculation formula is: (((Target Value - Result Value)/ Target Value)*100)+100

  • If the calculation is greater than or equal to Threshold Between Yellow and Green, a green stoplight icon is displayed.

  • If the calculated value is less than the Threshold Between Yellow and Green but greater than or equal to Threshold Between Red and Yellow, a yellow stoplight icon is displayed.

  • If the calculated value is less than the Threshold Between Red and Yellow, a red stoplight icon is displayed.

  1. Visualforce Page Click on the pencil icon next to the Project Indicator to modify it, or Lightning Web Component click on the action menu on the right side of the Indicator record and then click on the pencil icon to modify it (screenshot below).

  2. Make the relevant changes to the Indicator and click “Save”.

     

There are two ways to remove Project Indicator records from a Project:

Delete Project Indicators

  1. Visualforce Page Click on the trash bin icon next to the Project Indicator to delete it, or Lightning Web Component click on the action menu on the right side of the Indicator record and then click on the trash bin icon to delete it. On click of the Delete icon, the user will be prompted to confirm the delete action.

2. When the deletion is confirmed, the Project Indicator record is deleted, along with any of its associated records (i.e. Results, Project Indicator Reporting Period, Project Indicator Geographic Area, etc.). The Project Indicator and its related data are no longer displayed on any of the pages.

Deactivate Project Indicators

  1. Navigate to the “Selected Indicators” tab in the Project Indicators table.

  2. Click on the “Edit” icon and de-select the “Active” checkbox. Click “Save”.

  3. When the record is saved, the Project Indicator record is no longer available for the user to collect data about that Indicator and it will be moved to the “Deactivated Indicators” tab.

Manage Deactivated Project Indicators

  1. Navigate to the “Deactivated Indicators” tab to view a list of deactivated project indicators.

  2. Within the “Deactivated Indicators” tab, users may browse through all deactivated project indicators.

    1. The table displays each record in the first column as a hyperlink and is clickable to the record detail. 

    2. By default, deactivated Project Indicators are ordered according to “Indicator Definition”. 

  3. Clicking on a column header sorts the deactivated Project Indicators in ascending alphanumeric order, by the selected field. Clicking on the column header a second time sorts them in descending alphanumeric order by the selected field.

  4. The table displays 10 deactivated Project Indicator records at a time. Other deactivated Project Indicators can be accessed by toggling between pages at the bottom of the table.

Reactivate a Deactivated Indicator

  1. Navigate to the “Deactivated Indicators” tab and select the Project Indicators to reactive.

  2. Click on the “Activate Selected” button.

  3. The Project Indicator is then removed from the “Deactivated Indicators” tab and added to the “Selected Indicators” tab. 

Refresh when Updates on Relevant Pages affect Indicators

Changes (add, edit, delete) to records that are related to Indicators trigger a refresh banner to prompt the logged in user to refresh the page to see the latest data.


The page can be refreshed to display the latest updates by clicking on the ‘refresh’ button located to the right side of the page. Add, edit, or delete operations on Targets & Results affect the Indicators page.