Baselinevurdering

Baselinevurdering, or baseline assessment, is the process of establishing the pre-intervention state of a system, population, or environment by collecting data on predefined indicators before a program, policy, or project is implemented. The primary purpose is to provide a reference point against which changes can be measured over time, enabling attribution of outcomes to the intervention and informing design, targets, and resource allocation.

The approach involves careful planning, selection of indicators aligned with objectives, and choosing appropriate data collection methods. It requires defining the baseline period, ensuring data comparability with future measurements, and documenting metadata such as data sources, measurement units, and any adjustments made. Indicators may cover outcomes, inputs, context factors, and process measures. Data sources can include surveys, administrative records, physical measurements, and existing datasets. Attention to data quality and privacy is essential.

Baselinevurdering is used across domains such as health, education, environmental management, development projects, and research. In health, it may capture initial health status or risk factors; in education, baseline achievement levels; in environmental work, baseline emissions or biodiversity metrics. The resulting baseline report, often accompanied by a data dictionary, supports monitoring, evaluation, and reporting by providing a concrete point of comparison for progress and impact.

Challenges include data availability and quality, seasonal variation, cost, and ensuring ethical handling of personal data. Properly conducted, baselinevurdering strengthens accountability and informs evidence-based decision making.