The Specific objective is what the partner intends to achieve by implementing the Action. It should address the core problems or some of them as identified in the findings of the problem, needs and risk analysis in accordance with the strategy outlined in the response analysis.

It should be defined in terms of direct benefits for the target groups (outcome). The Specific objective should not be a simple combination of the results; it should be logically one step beyond the results – the change to the target group’s life thanks to the services/products provided by the results. The partner will identify only one Specific objective per Action.

Indicators are necessary to accurately describe the progress and achievement of the specific objective of the action. Partners can choose among the pre-defined Key Outcome Indicators (KOI, full list available here and in the Reference Documents page) or, as a last resort, add custom indicators manually. KOI are standard indicators widely recognised and used in the humanitarian community.

Indicators at specific objective level measure the main outcomes of the action, i.e. the benefits drawn by the target group from (the effects of) the products and services delivered by the project. The delivery of a service or product is an output, not an outcome and can thus not be used as an indicator for the specific objective. 

The partner will introduce indicators sufficient in number to adequately cover the specific objective. The number of indicators (limited to maximum 10) should be kept reasonable, as partners are expected to provide reliable data on each indicator in their reporting.

The partner chooses between the pre-defined KOI through the drop-down menu or, when a specific dimension of the action is not covered by the proposed KOI, a "custom indicator" can be created, in which case a (short) indicator name should be provided. When a ‘custom’ indicator is chosen, the partner needs to be specific about what is going to be measured.

In the field for the definition of the custom indicator, the partner does NOT have to provide baseline or target values or Source/Method of data collection.

 'Custom’ indicators should be objectively verifiable and SMART (specific, measurable, available, relevant and time-bound). 

In the source and method of data collection field, the partner has to identify where the indicator data come from and how and by whom it is collected (e.g. administrative records, registers, surveys, etc). While designing and implementing the action, the partner should keep in mind that some methods require a certain amount of planning and resources.

If a partner uses a predefined KOI, the fields for the indicator definition and for the source and method of data collection are automatically prefilled. The "definition" field of a KOI cannot be edited; deviations from the definition should be mentioned in the comments field. The pre-filled text in the field for "source and method of data collection" is a suggestion based on good practice, but should be modified to match the actual sources and methods of data collection used by the partner.

For custom indicators, the partner should provide a definition and source and method of data collection manually.

In the baseline box, the partner provides the indicator value at the beginning of the action before any activities start. Baseline data is needed to assess the progress and achievement of the Action. Baseline data should be available before the Action starts as part of the needs assessment. It must be ensured that the unit of the value matches the indicator (absolute figures, proportions, percentages). The same type of unit (% or absolute value) should be used for both base line and target value.  The type of unit used should be defined in the 'comment' box.

In the target value box, the partner will indicate the target it intends to reach by the end of the Action. It must be ensured that the unit of the value matches the indicator (absolute figures, proportions, percentages). If the target value equals the baseline, the reason for this should be explained.

If necessary, the partner can provide additional information on the indicator. When using a pre-defined KOI this field should be used to respond to the questions listed in the KOI guidance.