Indikatorvalg

Indikatorvalg refers to the process of selecting a set of indicators to monitor and evaluate a program, policy, project, or organizational performance. The goal is to identify measures that adequately reflect progress toward stated objectives while remaining feasible to collect and interpret. Indikatorvalg sits at the core of monitoring and evaluation (M&E), performance management, and data governance.

The process typically includes defining the objectives and the decision context, compiling a broad list of candidate indicators, and assessing them against criteria such as relevance to goals, validity, reliability, sensitivity to change, timeliness, data availability, and cost. Stakeholder input, expert consultation, and pilot testing are common components. Indicators are often selected to balance coverage across domains with a manageable number to avoid measurement overload. Documentation of rationale and data sources is important, as is planning for ongoing review and potential revision.

Data sources for indicator sets may include administrative records, surveys, censuses, environmental monitoring, and other routinely collected data. Methods to support indikatorvalg include literature reviews, workshops, Delphi processes, indicator scoring matrices, and field pilots.

Common challenges include data gaps or poor data quality, inconsistent definitions, measurement error, evolving relevance of indicators, and potential biases toward easily measurable metrics. Best practices emphasize alignment with an overarching framework (such as a logic model or theory of change), ensuring interpretability and comparability, disaggregation for equity, and maintaining transparency through accessible documentation and regular updates.

Applications of indikatorvalg appear in national development planning, organizational dashboards, and international reporting frameworks, including adaptation of global indicators to local contexts.