After formulating objectives and results and assessing risks and assumptions, the next step is to mainstream child rights in the indicators.

Indicators – both quantitative and qualitative – are necessary to track the progress of a programme towards the expected results. The most important question to ask when drafting your indicators is what measure will indicate the extent to which there is improvement in the respect, protection and fulfilment of child rights?

All indicators must always be disaggregated to the greatest extent possible by gender, age, ethnicity, disability status, socio-economic conditions and other relevant factors. This will allow for an assessment of changes in equality, inclusion and non-discrimination over time and will provide important information on which children benefit from the programme and which children remain marginalised in terms of rights realisation.

Over the next four slides we will present the issues to consider when formulating indicators for the overall objective, outcome and output levels. The example of our water and sanitation programme will continue to be used as an example.