PLAN - Section 5: Multi-Year Results Framework

UNHCR’s results architecture

UNHCR differentiates between three levels of results that guide the global and context-specific results frameworks. This approach is in line with the UN results-based management structure:

UNHCR’s three results levels are the basis for the results framework at the country, regional and global levels. 

UNHCR’s results framework has two levels:

• A global results framework that aggregates, analyses, and presents results and resources globally.
• A context-specific results framework that each operation defines in collaboration with partners. Every context-specific results framework is linked to the global results framework through the relevant global result areas to allow the global aggregation of results and resources. 

With these two levels, UNHCR is able to develop context-specific strategies and at the same time, consolidate and present results and resources globally.

UNHCR’s global results framework

The global results framework aims to:

• Provide an organizational framework for planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting that can be applied to all contexts and types of interventions.
• Consolidate country results and budgets into a coherent global picture and enable coherent monitoring and reporting on the global results over time.
• Create a direct link between country strategies and UNHCR’s Strategic Directions. Country operations link their strategies to the global results areas which in turn are fully aligned with the Strategic Directions.
• Align actions around key areas of UNHCR’s mandate and global commitments for forcibly displaced and stateless people.
• Describe UNHCR’s contribution to the achievement of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Operationalize the vision of a human rights approach as a driver for all results.

UNHCR’s global results framework comprises four impact areas, 16 outcome areas and five enabling areas, representing UNHCR’s mandate, Strategic Directions 2022-2026 and areas of work. There are no global output areas because outputs are context-specific deliverables.

The global results framework includes a set of core impact, outcome and output indicators that measure UNHCR’s contribution to the changes in the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people across countries, allowing for the global presentation of results. Core indicators are UNHCR’s prioritized set of results data that are used internally and externally for telling a story of change at the country and global levels. See below for more information on indicators.

Global impact areas – Protect, Respond, Empower and Solve

UNHCR’s four global impact areas represent the changes in the lives of the forcibly displaced and stateless people that UNHCR seeks to contribute to, together with other stakeholders. They link directly to the four Strategic Directions of Protect, Respond, Empower and Solve. The fifth area, Include, cuts across all four impact areas and outcome areas.

Impact Area 1 – Attaining favourable protection environments (PROTECT)

This covers the intended changes in the enjoyment of rights for forcibly displaced and stateless people as a result of increasingly favourable protection conditions, including due to changes in law and policy in areas such as access to asylum, registration, status determination, documentation, human rights, and provision of international protection.

Changes can include preventing deterioration.

Impact Area 2 – Achieving basic rights in safe environments (RESPOND)

This covers intended changes in the well-being of forcibly displaced and stateless people due to shifts in access, quality, and coverage of basic services, particularly in humanitarian and emergency settings irrespective of whether these needs are met through humanitarian assistance, inclusion into national service delivery or other means.

Impact Area 3 – Empowering communities and achieving gender equality (EMPOWER)

This covers intended changes in protection and solutions for forcibly displaced and stateless people as a result of community empowerment, strengthened gender equality and increased livelihood opportunities.

Impact Area 4 – Securing solutions (SOLVE)

This covers intended changes in the enjoyment of durable and alternative pathways to solutions for forcibly and stateless people, including resettlement, voluntary return, naturalization, local integration, relocation for internally displaced people and complementary pathways.

Sixteen global outcome areas

The 16 outcome areas represent UNHCR’s key areas of work towards the achievement of rights for forcibly displaced and stateless people. They are linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are aspirational long-term goals with the potential to transform the well-being of forcibly displaced and stateless people.

Five global enabling areas

UNHCR’s global results framework includes five enabling areas which encapsulate UNHCR’s management work such as fundraising, supply, oversight, human resource management, policy development, support to governance bodies, information technology, operational support, learning and financial management. Enabling area 21 is reserved for the organizational executive leadership and oversight function at the headquarters level.

UNHCR Strategic Directions 2022-2026 and the global results framework
 

Developing context-specific results chains

A results framework consists of one or more results chains, which include impact, outcome and output statements. Operations design the results chains using the theory of change to show how impacts, outcomes and outputs sequentially build on each other over time to achieve the strategy’s vision.

The result chain is built on logical linkages between impact, outcome, and output statements, often referred to as the “if-then” logic. This means that if the outputs are achieved, the desired outcome will be achieved, and if the outcomes are achieved, they should contribute to the broader impact.

However, achieving an impact may require more than the outcomes specified in the result chain. These additional conditions are defined as assumptions in the theory of change. Operations may need to go back to the theory of change if the logic does not work well when translating it into the result chain. 

One or more outcomes may achieve an impact, but an outcome cannot contribute to more than one impact statement. The same applies to the relationship between outcomes and outputs – an output cannot contribute to more than one outcome.

Results chain

In a multi-year strategy, results statements may have different durations, with some spanning the entire strategy period and some lasting only a shorter period. Results statements cannot exceed the strategy’s duration, and outputs cannot exceed the duration of their parent outcome in the results chain.

To develop a results chain, the operation’s multi-functional team (MFT) first considers which changes identified during the theory of change process correspond to impact, outcome and output levels. In this process, the operation may also consider further prioritizing results, considering UNHCR’s direct and catalytic role (see PLAN – Section 4 for the prioritization tool). The results managers play a key role in developing the results chain. The planning coordinator and the MFT verify the results chain.

Once the multi-year strategy is approved, the impact and outcome statements are not expected to change. If substantial changes to impact statements are needed, they must be approved by the plan approver (bureau director or SET member). The plan approver also needs to be consulted for significant changes to the outcome statements. Output statements can be adapted as and when necessary, by the plan owner. See PLAN – Section 2 for more information on strategy modifications.
 

Formulating concise and clear results statements

Developing a results chain involves translating the intended changes outlined in the theory of change into a coherent and hierarchical sequence of impact, outcome, and output statements. They form a pyramid of results.

Impact statements

Impact statements represent the strategic priorities and the highest level of results. They describe significant, long-term changes in the lives of forcibly displaced and stateless people, involving national and local authorities, UNHCR and other actors, and emphasize UNHCR’s comparative advantage and contribution to outcomes and outputs.

Impacts describe the changes in the actual enjoyment of their rights and well-being. The subject of the change is people (for example “refugee children learn effectively”, “people lead healthy lives”, “people enjoy durable solutions”) and the statements describe changes in the protection, health situation, self-reliance status or prospect for solutions for forcibly displaced and stateless people (e.g., return, naturalization).

A strategy usually has three to five impact statements. One impact statement may encompass different population groups.

Bureaux and headquarters divisions and entities should not have more than one impact statement. They can make use of the pre-defined impact statement for bureaux and headquarters divisions and entities: “Forcibly displaced and stateless people and partners receive effective and efficient support from UNHCR”.

Examples of impact statements

❝ All stateless people have a nationality in country A.❞

❝ The majority of refugee households are self-reliant and can provide for the needs of their families by 2026.❞

❝ A quarter of the refugees have realized their desired durable solution or an alternative pathway to solutions by 2027.❞

Outcome statements

Outcome statements describe the mid-level results needed to achieve impacts. They reflect the changes achieved through UNHCR’s contribution in collaboration with other actors. Outcomes focus on what needs to change so that forcibly displaced and stateless people can have more access to services or receive better services (from governments, and/or humanitarian organisations), helping them to find protection and fulfilment of their rights.

To achieve such outcomes, changes may be needed in institutional and behavioural capacities. This can include the knowledge and technical skills of people working in institutions resulting in an enabling law and policy environment, increased access to refugee status determination, education, gender-based violence and health services or resettlement opportunities. The focus is typically on forcibly displaced and stateless people or more specific groups, such as women, girls, or refugee children. In some cases, an institution (e.g., authorities) or a system (e.g., humanitarian/development) may be the focus of an outcome.  

It is rare to attribute the achievement of these outcomes to a single actor as they usually result from the joint efforts of UNHCR and other stakeholders.

Typically, a UNHCR strategy includes two to five outcome statements linked to one impact statement. One outcome statement can cover multiple population groups.

Bureaux and headquarters divisions and entities consider outcome statements that advance UNHCR’s regional or global advocacy for forcibly displaced and stateless people, support UNHCR operations, and improve organizational performance.

Examples of outcome statements

❝ Stateless people are able to register and access all local services available by 2026.❞

❝ Refugees are able to access work permits through a simplified procedure.❞

❝ Ten per cent of vulnerable refugees are in the resettlement or complementary pathways pipeline by 2024.❞
 

Output statements

Output statements represent UNHCR’s concrete contributions to achieving specific outcomes.  They describe results brought about by UNHCR’s direct actions and implementation, including through funded partnerships. Outputs are under the control and management of UNHCR. 

Outputs are the tangible results derived from delivering services or goods, building capacities, or providing technical assistance, advocacy and catalytic support. They can lead to improvements in individual skills, and capacities (for example, strengthened capacities of border guards), services and products. The subject of change can be people, communities, institutions, (government, humanitarian or other) processes or similar subjects. Normally, multiple outputs are needed to effectively achieve an outcome.

Outputs focus on the results of activities, not the activities themselves. Activities are specific actions taken by UNHCR or its partners and may include drafting policies, signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), creating child-friendly spaces, conducting an awareness-raising campaign or organizing a workshop. Outputs express the changes that are expected to happen as a result of these activities. They should not be formulated as activities. 

Bureaux and headquarters divisions and entities express outputs based on their specific roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities.  

Examples of output statements

❝ Government eligibility officers know how to apply new standard operating procedures.❞

❝ Working-age refugees and relevant partners know how to apply for work permits.❞

❝ Community-based complaint mechanisms are available in all camps and accessible to all groups of the population.❞

❝ Refugees in the host country are able to make informed decisions about the return to their country of origin❞.

❝ Bureaux, country operations and targeted global partners have increased capacity to advocate for and support the issuance and acceptance of machine-readable, renewable travel documents for refugees and stateless people❞ (example output statement of a headquarters division or entity).

❝ Country operations are equipped to advance the statistical inclusion of forcibly displaced and stateless people❞ (example output statement of a bureau).
 

To formulate clear and actionable results statements, operations include four key components regardless of the level of results: the direction of change, who changes, what changes and where and when this change happens.

Key components of a results statement

Linking context-specific results frameworks to the global results framework

Once the context-specific results framework is established, operations link each impact statement to a corresponding impact area, and each outcome statement to an outcome area. This process creates clear connections between the operation’s strategies and the global results framework. The impact and outcome areas cover all population types. However, it is not necessary to link to every area. The operations select the relevant ones that correspond most closely with the statements. In some cases, an operation may define multiple impact and outcome statements within the same global results area. Each impact and outcome statement is assigned to only one impact or outcome area.

When defining context-specific results frameworks, operations are guided by UNHCR’s strategic directions, policies, frameworks, and global strategies. It is essential for operations to contextualize these global strategic directions to fit the specific country context while supporting global aggregation and reporting.

Country operations use their multi-year results framework to align and link their strategies with inter-agency and national planning frameworks. This enhances coherence between UNHCR and other relevant planning frameworks.

• The United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF): As a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), UNHCR aims to include forcibly displaced and stateless people in development planning. The UNSDCF serves as the joint UN development plan at the country level, led by the Resident Coordinator and signed by the government. UNHCR operations contribute to the UNSDCF by participating in the Common Country Analysis (CCA) and contributing to the development of the UNSDCF priorities and outcomes. Where relevant, UNHCR operations ensure that the development- and resilience-related impact statements are aligned with the relevant UNSDCF outcomes. They also incorporate UNHCR outputs into the UNSDCF Joint Work Plan. Operations use the organisational marker on UNSDCF for these outputs to track UNHCR’s contribution to the UNSDCF internally and report in UNINFO. 
• Refugee Response Plans (RRPs): UNHCR leads the development and coordination of country and regional refugee response plans, collaborating with UN and NGO partners. Operations include in the RRPs those parts of the results framework that address the specific situation covered by the plans. 
• Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs): UNHCR operations actively participate in preparing Humanitarian Needs Overviews and Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs), providing essential data and information. For significant refugee populations, UNHCR operations include a dedicated and distinct chapter on the refugee response, developed through an inclusive and consultative process with all relevant actors.

Country operations that are part of an RRP or an HRP ensure consistency between the UNHCR multi-year strategy and the RRP or HRP in terms of the planned results, indicators, population figures, and requirements.

In addition to defining results statements at the different levels, operations describe their desired results and how they will be achieved.

Impact level

When defining each impact statement, operations identify UNHCR’s role, how UNHCR will act to complement other stakeholders and how other stakeholders contribute to each impact.  Operations also describe how this impact speaks to the strategic outcomes and objectives of the UN development plan (UNSDCF) in the country in the narrative section “UNSDCF strategic outcome”.

The key questions to complete are:

❓  Who are the agents of change and how can they introduce changes for this impact?

❓ Who else contributes to this impact and how?

❓ What are UNHCR’s relevance, comparative advantage and contributions for this impact?

❓ How does this impact relate and contribute to the UNSDCF’s strategic outcomes, national and regional development plans, or targets of national sustainable development goals (as applicable)?

Outcome level

Operations also describe the intended outcomes and how the planned outputs contribute to the achievement of each outcome over the strategy duration. Additionally, country operations describe the expected contributions from partners and other stakeholders for each outcome. This mapping should be based on the theory of change, illustrating how collaborative efforts will drive progress towards the desired outcomes. Operations also highlight additional key issues such as geographical coverage, the targeted populations, and priority actions related to sustainable responses, route-based approaches and the focus area strategic plans.

The key questions to complete are:

❓ Which geographic areas, population groups and age, gender, and diversity (AGD) groups will UNHCR focus on under this outcome?

❓ What significant contributions are expected from other stakeholders?

❓ Which outputs will UNHCR deliver for a specific outcome over the strategy duration?

To answer these questions, operations will use information from the stakeholder mapping and analysis undertaken during the situation analysis and theory of change. 

Stakeholder Analysis Matrix: Interest, Support, Power and Capacity

People are at the centre of UNHCR’s work. Information and data on populations play a critical role in our planning and reporting. 

UNHCR uses different sets of population categories for statistical, programming and budgeting purposes. For its official statistics, UNHCR captures and publishes official statistics on nine forcibly displaced and stateless population groups once a year, collected through the Annual Statistical Reports (ASR). Population planning groups in the multi-year strategies mirror those reported in ASR. 

For planning, programming, and budgeting purposes, UNHCR uses a smaller set of population groups. The population groups for budgeting, formerly known as pillars, include four categories – refugees and asylum-seekers, internally displaced people, returnees, and stateless people. For population groups used for results statements and indicator disaggregation, host communities and others of concern to UNHCR are added to those four categories.

See below the table on population groups across statistics, planning, programming and budgeting.

Overview: population data in UNHCR’s statistics, planning, programming and budgeting

When formulating results statements, operations define who will benefit from each impact, outcome or output statement. Population coverage includes the number of people who will be supported, reached or assisted. It is broken down by population type and, if applicable, country of origin. The population coverage reflects the operations’ targeting and age-, gender-, and diversity-sensitive approach to delivering protection, assistance and solutions. Targeting is the process of defining who will be assisted based on needs, including by determining eligibility criteria.

A results statement can encompass multiple population types, such as refugees, internally displaced people, host communities, and stateless people. Population coverage is optional for output statements, is not required for results statements linked to enabling areas and is optional for multi-country offices covering several countries.

Population coverage is reviewed annually for each results statement. During annual implementation planning, operations validate and adjust the proposed population coverage if significant changes in the population have occurred.

Operations use indicators to measure progress towards planned results in their results frameworks.

Indicators are standardized measures that allow for comparisons over time, different population groups, geographic areas, or other relevant characteristics.

Each result statement is measured using at least one indicator. Operations prioritize the use of mandatory core indicators which allow UNHCR to present a coherent set of global results. If a core indicator is the most relevant, it should be used over good practice or user-defined indicators. 

When additional indicators are needed, operations first select from the good practice indicator list, creating user-defined indicators only when no suitable core or good practice indicator is available. Operations make sure that each indicator is relevant, correctly configured and completed with baselines and targets. Operations disaggregate indicator results by age, gender and diversity to provide more detailed information on the results achieved.

Results indicators

Results indicators measure progress and achievements on impact, outcomes and outputs. UNHCR’s results architecture includes indicators at the impact, outcome and output level. To balance global coherence with local needs, UNHCR uses three different indicator sets: core, good practice and user-defined. UNHCR’s results indicators are regulated by a global indicator coordination and management mechanism and are accompanied by guidance.

Indicators can be expressed according to different quantitative and qualitative methods depending on specific information needs. For results indicators, UNHCR uses several types: number, percentage, average, rate and text indicators. Indicators are measured through baselines, targets, and actual results, and can be disaggregated by age, gender and diversity for more detailed information.
 

At a glance: UNHCR’s results indicators and indicator sets

Core indicators

UNHCR’s set of standard core indicators provides comparable and consistent data on the results achieved with UNHCR’s support. They are UNHCR’s flagship results indicators and play a key role in its external reporting, resource mobilization, and advocacy. Many core indicators are part of internationally recognized frameworks, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR).

The use of core indicators is mandatory for all country operations. Multi-country offices set up core indicators specific to each one of their countries. Core indicators are not used by bureaux, and headquarters divisions and entities except for a limited set of core enabling indicators.

Core indicators are globally defined in UNHCR’s indicator guidance, which details the definition, scope, means of verification (MoV), and calculation of each indicator. Specific calculation tools are available for some core indicators.

Operations use core indicators as part of their strategy. Core indicators are not linked to a specific results statement in the results framework, except for core output indicators, which country operations can optionally link to one or more results statements to maximize their use and facilitate partner reporting.

Country operations report on core indicators annually as part of their Annual Results Report, which is published externally. They provide mid-year data on the core output indicators (see SHOW – Section 2) . The consolidated results are communicated in the Global Report and other external global and regional publications (see SHOW – Section 4).
 

Overview of UNHCR’s core indicators

Good practice indicators

When drafting their strategies, operations can select from a list of good practice indicators relevant to their results frameworks. Good practice indicators have proven useful and measurable by UNHCR and other organisations, and are available for all global results areas, including the five enabling areas across impact, outcome and output levels. Using good practice indicators allows global coherence in results reporting across the organisation.

The use of good practice indicators is recommended, where relevant. Good practice indicators can be used by all operations as applicable to their area of work.

Operations are encouraged to select a good practice indicator only if there is no relevant core indicator already in use or relevant for a specific results statement and when there is a need to complement existing core indicators. Operations use good practice indicators to measure and report on specific results statements in the results framework.

Good practice indicators are globally defined in UNHCR’s indicator guidance, which details the definition, scope, means of verification (MoV), and calculation of each indicator. Specific calculation tools are available for some good practice indicators.

Operations report on good practice indicators once a year as part of their Annual Results Report.

User-defined indicators

Operations develop user-defined indicators to measure context-specific results. For country operations, these indicators should only be considered when core or good practice indicators do not adequately capture the results in the results framework. Additionally, they may be used to incorporate indicators from other stakeholders into UNHCR’s framework, for example, indicators from national, donor, and inter-agency frameworks like the SDG targets, UNSDCF, HRPs and RRPs.

User-defined indicators are tailored to the specific context of a country or region and are not intended for broader application. Bureaux and headquarters divisions and entities create user-defined indicators when no suitable good practice indicators are identified.

Operations use user-defined indicators to measure specific results statements in the results framework. Operations report on user-defined indicators once per year in their Annual Results Report as well as more often during the year as defined by the operation.

When developing user-defined indicators, operations undertake the following steps:

• Determine if a user-defined indicator is necessary. 
• Identify what the indicator will measure and formulate it in line with the relevant results statement at the appropriate level of result.
• Decide on the type of indicator (e.g., number, percentage, average, rate or text). 
• Define the attributes of the indicator, such as population type, disaggregation levels, reporting frequency, and modality. 
• Agree on the means of verification and calculation method. 
• Document the attributes to enable consistent use over time in the operation.

Types of indicators in UNHCR

UNHCR differentiates between five different types of results indicators. Depending on the type of indicator, different data elements are required.  

Define the population types and the disaggregation for each indicator

Population types

For most indicators, operations define the relevant population type for each indicator to ensure that results are specific and measurable for that group. For each indicator, operations select the population types based on the population types of the related impact, outcome or output statement. For example, if the outcome covers refugee and stateless documentation, the indicators will be configured for refugee and stateless populations. If a population type is selected, the indicator data will be disaggregated by that population type. The indicator guidance for core and good practice indicators defines the population types that are applicable to each context. Operations select the relevant population types for their country from among this pre-defined list. This allows for effective monitoring and reporting of results per each population type.  

UNHCR uses six population types for population coverage (results statements) and indicator disaggregation. These are based on the population types in the population planning figures and merge some of the population types for the benefit of data reporting. The population types are:

• Refugees and asylum-seekers.
• Internally displaced people.
• Returnees.
• Stateless people. 
• Others of concern, including populations that do not fall into any other population type.
• Host communities, with operations using this category mainly for output and outcome indicators. Indicator data on host communities is not published globally.

Some indicators are not specific to a population type. Operations define the population as “none” and do not disaggregate data by population type for these indicators. This often applies to cross-cutting, management and support indicators under the enabling areas as well as indicators in bureaux, and headquarters divisions and entities.
 

Disaggregation of indicator

Using disaggregated data provides operations with nuanced information on how results have a differential impact on groups at risk of discrimination, vulnerability, and exclusion, and ensures more inclusive programme design.

Country operations disaggregate core impact, outcome and output indicator data by age, gender, disability and other diversity considerations, in line with the UNHCR Policy on Age, Gender and Diversity Accountability. They collect disaggregated data as contextually appropriate and possible and may draw on available disaggregated data in the Annual Statistical Report (for example on gender and country of origin).

Operations also disaggregate good practice and user-defined indicators, as relevant to the context and information needs.

Additionally, operations can also disaggregate indicator data by country of origin or location if useful for the context. Disaggregation applies to baselines and actuals.

When to do what: indicator actions

Inter-agency indicators

Operations promote, as much as possible, the use of UNHCR’s core indicators in inter-agency frameworks that relate to forcibly displaced and stateless people. In case of pre-defined or newly agreed inter-agency indicators, UNHCR operations map these indicators against UNHCR’s core indicators and try to use existing data to minimize reporting requirements across different frameworks. This will also increase the coherence of UNHCR’s reporting and make efficient use of resources.

• For the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), an operation can incorporate core output and outcome indicators when including parts of UNHCR’s programme into the Joint Work Plan. In addition, UNHCR may need to report on broader UN indicators, including the list of UN-wide output indicators (see UN Output Indicator Framework). An operation can adopt these indicators as user-defined indicators in its strategy’s results framework. Alternatively, it can use the data it collects for UNHCR’s indicators to report on the UN-wide output indicators. 
• When leading the development of a Refugee Response Plan (RRP), an operation identifies common indicators used in the results framework of all countries covered by the RRP and uses these indicators in the RRP monitoring framework. The operation promotes the core indicators and only negotiates additional indicators if the core indicators are not suitable in the regional or country inter-agency context. 
• In a humanitarian response context, UNHCR contributes to inter-agency indicators as necessary. See the HRP monitoring guidance, and OCHA's Indicator Registry.
• Other relevant indicator frameworks include the Global Compact on Refugees – Indicator Framework 2022 and The Sphere Handbook.

Indicators are tracked through baselines and targets and reported and adjusted using actuals that capture what has been achieved. UNHCR establishes baselines and targets against the operational plan (OP) and the operating level (OL) budgetary requirements.

Baselines, targets and actuals for impact, outcome and output indicators

Baselines

Operations establish baselines for impact and outcome indicators during the strategic planning phase. Baseline data establishes a foundation to measure change and is not updated during the implementation of the strategy. Baseline data provide a fixed point of reference for the situation at the time of the strategy planning against which to measure progress and help determine the multi-year indicator targets of the strategy.

When planning a new multi-year strategy, operations use the latest available data for an indicator as the strategy baseline. Operations ensure that baseline data are accurate and reliable, as this forms the basis for future comparisons. For new indicators, operations make efforts to collect baseline data as part of the strategy planning and at the latest before the implementation of the strategy.

UNHCR is committed to presenting high-quality data, in line with quality standards. Operations can use quality criteria to assess the quality of their indicator baseline data (Quality Assurance for Results Indicators). After approval, operations can modify the baseline only if more accurate data becomes available within a short period and before the implementation of the strategy starts. If operations face challenges with data collection or analysis – such as relying on estimates or data of unclear quality – they document these challenges in the data limitation field in COMPASS before submitting baselines and targets.

Targets

Targets are a projection of an operation’s intended results. They express the desired level of change or achievement in a given timeframe, placed for each year of the strategy. When setting targets, operations consider past challenges and successes related to the indicator, and balance ambitious results with what is realistically achievable during the strategy duration.

Impact indicators do not require targets, as they are at the level of rights. Operations set targets for outcome and output indicators to track changes against the baseline established for the strategy. Targets are set for each year of the strategy. Given that results at the outcome level go beyond UNHCR, outcome indicator targets typically capture not only UNHCR’s contribution, but the collective results. Exceptions are specific outcome indicators where only UNHCR is engaged (e.g., resettlement).

Operations set multi-year indicator targets for outcome and output indicators in line with the resources required to achieve a result (OP targets). At the output level, operations also set targets in line with available resources (OL targets) (see PLAN – Section 7 and GET – Section 1).

The baselines and multi-year targets are quality-assured as part of the strategy submission, quality assurance and approval process to assess whether they are complete, coherent and accurate.

Once approved as part of the multi-year strategy, operations should not change targets for outcome indicators.  Operations confirm the output indicator targets during annual implementation planning, considering the latest data on forcibly displaced and stateless people, as well as available resources.

Actuals

Actuals are the results achieved during implementation and reported for each indicator.  They are based on observed and verified data collected through monitoring processes.

Actual data for all results indicators are reported annually during the SHOW Results phase. Core output indicators are reported on twice a year, including at mid-year. Actuals undergo a process of quality assurance before approval (see GET – Section 3 and SHOW – Section 2 for guidance and requirements on actuals).

Example: Results statements with impact, outcome and output indicators, baseline and targets

Means of verification (MoV)

After selecting indicators, operations determine how to obtain the data for each results indicator and how to monitor and evaluate the strategy more broadly. In the means of verification (MoV), operations identify how reliable and accurate data for each indicator will be obtained, how often and who is responsible.

Additionally, operations note any data limitations, ensuring that the means of verification are feasible and that the data collected is both relevant and sufficient for measuring progress against the selected indicators (see PLAN – Section 6 for more information on the means of verification).