Mission Metrics:Using An Agency-Wide Measurement

Approach to Understand Emergency Response

March 6, 2013

Barbara Willett Michael Wallace

Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP)

Mission StatementMercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering,

poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just

communities.

What is Mission Metrics?

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An agency initiative to understand how we – collectively –

are achieving our mission.

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Emergency Relief ServicesTheme 1. Basic needs are met after loss-occurring

events (Basic Needs)

1.1 Number of people receiving emergency relief services1.2 Number of households or individuals receiving emergency

relief services showing change in assessed conditions1.3 Number or percentage of programs implementing emergency

relief services that have elements of recovery programming within 90 days of the initial response

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• Program indicators are aligned with Mission Indicators

• Results are reported• Data is reviewed for quality

and methodology• Results aggregated, analyzed,

discussed, presented• Recommendations for action

Program Indicators

Mission Indicator

AGENCY RESULTS

Mission Indicators: How they work

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Emergency Beneficiaries

2010 2011 20120

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

Water & Sanitation Cash Health Shelter/NFI Food

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Emergency Types

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Emergency Programs with Evidence of Change

2010 2011 20120

20

40

60

80

Programs Providing Emergency ServicesPrograms Providing Emergency Services Measuring Change in Condition

32%13%

18%

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Types of Evidence Reported

Food security

Shelter

Health

Cash/Economic

Water & Sanitation

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MI 1.2 - Categories of 'Change in Assessed Condition' (n=31)

Number of Results

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Improved food security

Improved food security behavior

Improved health condition

Improved health behavior

Improved health infrastructure

Improved shelter

Improved income

Restarted business/livelihoods

Improved sanitation infrastructure

Improved water cleanliness

Improved sanitation behavior

Increased water per person/day

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

MI 1.2 - Categories of 'Change in Assessed Condition' (n=31)

Water & Sanitation Shelter Cash/EconomicHealth Food security

Number of results

Types of Evidence Reported

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How to use the data?Questions for discussion/investigation:• Do the numbers seem accurate, or are we missing critical

information?• Is it important to understand/distinguish acute versus chronic

emergencies? • Wat/san is clearly our most important sector – do we have the

resources we need to support that?• Should we work harder at measuring “change in assessed

condition”? • Are there other emergency-related variables that should be

tracked?• What about links to ‘community resilience to destabilizing

events’ (theme 2)?

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Lessons Learned

Focus early on use – what questions do you want to answer?

Engage everyone you can in the process

Link closely to program M&E processes

Ensure quality IT and data management systems

Give it time to develop and dedicate ongoing resources to maintain

Limit expectations

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Expand the Vision – Evidence

High Quality,

High Impact

ProgramsThought

Leadership

Research

M&EMission MetricsPM@MC

Org Learning