Indicator Tracking System Tutorial
EvalCommunity Academy · Tool tutorial
How to Set Up and Run an Indicator Tracking System
A step-by-step guide to implementing an indicator tracking system with the free EvalCommunity Indicator Tracking Software: from mapping your system and building the results framework to entering, verifying and reporting data every period.
In this tutorial
What an indicator tracking system is
An indicator tracking system is the combination of people, processes and tools that collect, check, store and use indicator data, period after period, from the field to the donor report. The Indicator Tracking Table (ITT) is its main output, but the system behind it is what makes the figures reliable.
A complete system has eleven components. You will set up each of them in this tutorial:
| Component | What it covers | Where you set it up |
|---|---|---|
| Results framework | Goal, outcomes and outputs, with codes | Results and indicators |
| Indicator reference sheets | Definition, unit, calculation, source, frequency, responsibility | Edit indicator |
| Baselines and targets | Starting values, end targets and period targets | Edit indicator |
| Data sources and tools | Registers, forms, surveys and databases | Edit indicator › Data collection |
| Reporting calendar | Period end dates and deadlines | Settings › Reporting periods and Deadlines and escalation, and the toolkit calendar |
| Roles and responsibilities | Who collects, enters, verifies and approves | Edit indicator, and the toolkit roles matrix |
| Data flow and storage | How data travels and where it is kept | Your system outline, and Reports and export › Backup and restore |
| Quality assurance | Verification, expected ranges and data quality checks | Data entry › Verified, and Edit indicator › Thresholds and data checks |
| Review and use | Follow-up of alerts, review meetings and decisions | Dashboard, and the Follow-up tab |
| Reporting outputs | The ITT and exports | Reports and export |
| Data protection | What is collected, who sees it, how long it is kept | Your organisation’s policy, and aggregated data only in the tracker |
The Indicator Tracking System Toolkit explains each component in more detail, with good practice and the pitfall to avoid.
What you need before you start
- Your logframe or results framework, with the approved wording and codes of every result and indicator.
- Your MEL plan or indicator reference sheets (PIRS), with definitions, data sources, frequency and responsibilities.
- Baselines and targets, including period targets if your donor expects progress by quarter or year.
- Your reporting schedule from the grant agreement: reporting frequency, the date the first period starts and report deadlines.
- The list of people and partners who collect, enter, verify and approve data.
Start with the example: The software opens with an example project, “Youth Livelihoods Programme (example)”. Explore it first to see a complete system with results, indicators, data and alerts, then create your own project.
Implementing the system, step by step
The software has six tabs: Dashboard, Results and indicators, Data entry, Follow-up, Reports and export and Settings. Steps 1 to 7 set up the system once. Steps 8 to 11 then repeat every reporting period, and step 12 once a year.
1
Map your system
Before opening any tool, agree what the system must deliver. List the information needs of the donor, managers, partners and communities, review the logframe and the MEL plan, and draw how data will travel from the field to the report, with the places where it is stored.
Use the System components and Set-up roadmap tabs of the toolkit as your guide. The output is a one-page system outline and a simple data flow diagram.
2
Create your project
In the software, select New project at the top of the tool. On the Settings tab, under Project details, enter the project name, implementing organisation, funder or donor, and location. These details appear on every report and export.
You can keep several projects in the same browser and switch between them with the Project list at the top. Duplicate this project is useful when a new phase reuses the same framework.
3
Set your reporting periods and calendar
On the Settings tab, under Reporting periods, choose the Frequency (monthly, quarterly, every six months or yearly), the date the First period starts and the Number of periods (up to 36), then select Generate periods.
The tool names the periods automatically, for example “Q3 2026” or “Jul 2026 – Jun 2027”. Rename any period so it matches your donor reports. Set the periods before you enter data: if you later reduce the number of periods, the data for the periods removed is deleted.
Then open the Reporting calendar tab of the toolkit, enter the same periods and your deadlines for data, verification and reports, and select Add to my calendar (.ics). Everyone in the team gets the same reminders in Outlook, Google Calendar or Apple Calendar.
4
Agree the status rules and deadlines
Under Status rules, check the thresholds. By default an indicator is on track from 90%, shows moderate progress from 60%, and needs attention below 60%. An indicator without data shows No data. Use your donor’s thresholds if they differ.
- Explain variances above (%): period results further than this from the period target need a note. The default is 10%.
- Flag changes from the previous period above (%): catches likely data errors, such as a value typed with an extra zero. The default is 50%. Leave it blank to turn it off.
- Status compares actuals with: choose Targets to date, where set to judge progress fairly during the project, or End-of-project target.
Under Deadlines and escalation, agree when data is late and what happens next:
- Data due (days after the period ends): the grace period for collecting and entering data. The default is 15 days. Missing data is flagged only after this date.
- Escalate open alerts after (days) and Escalate to: an alert still open after this time, 30 days by default, becomes high priority and is marked as escalated to the role you name, such as the Project Manager.
- Review results every (days): how often the team meets to review the results. The default is 90 days. The Dashboard reminds you when the next review is due.
5
Build the results framework
On the Results and indicators tab, select Add result for every result in your logframe. For each one, choose the Level (Goal, Outcome or Output), enter the Code exactly as in the logframe, such as 1.1, and the Result statement.
The table shows how many indicators each result has. A result with no indicator cannot be tracked.
6
Add your indicators
Select Add indicator. The form follows the structure of an indicator reference sheet:
- What is measured: code, the result it belongs to, the indicator wording, its definition and calculation, the Unit (Number, Percentage or Yes/No) and the Desired direction. Choose Decrease (lower is better) for indicators where lower is better, such as dropout rates or travel time.
- Baseline, target and calculation: the baseline value with its date and source, the end-of-project target, how periods combine and the % achieved formula. Add period targets wherever the donor expects progress by period.
- Data collection: data source, collection method, the Reporting frequency, the responsible person or role, the disaggregation categories (for example “Female; Male”) and remarks. The reporting frequency decides when data is due: a yearly indicator is not flagged as missing every quarter.
- Thresholds and data checks (optional): your own on-track, moderate and variance levels for a sensitive indicator, and its Expected minimum and Expected maximum. A value outside the expected range raises a high-priority alert. Leave these blank to use the project rules.
If your indicators are already in a spreadsheet, go to Reports and export, select Download CSV template, fill it in, and use Import CSV. The template can also carry period targets and actuals. Results are created from the result codes, and indicators with an existing code are updated rather than duplicated.
7
Agree who does what
Open the Roles matrix tab of the toolkit and agree who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed for each task: collecting, entering, verifying, reviewing alerts, explaining variances, approving figures, preparing the report and backing up. The matrix warns you if a task has no accountable role, or if the same role both enters and verifies the data.
Then enter the responsible role for each indicator in the software, under Edit indicator › Responsible person or role. Use roles, such as “MEAL Officer”, rather than names.
8
Enter data each period
At the end of each period, open the Data entry tab and choose the Reporting period. Each indicator shows its period target next to the fields:
- For numbers with disaggregation, enter each category; the total is calculated for you.
- For percentages, enter the overall value and, if needed, the value for each category.
- For Yes/No milestones, choose Yes, achieved or No, not yet.
- Use the Note to explain a variance, a data source issue or a correction.
Values save automatically, and the tool records the date each value was last updated. The period line shows when data for the period is due, and indicators that do not report in this period are marked Not due this period. Tick Only indicators without data to see what is still missing.
9
Verify the data and follow up
Check each value against its source documents, then tick Verified. When you have checked a whole period, Mark all entered values as verified saves time.
On the Dashboard, the Follow-up and data quality panel lists every open alert, escalated and high priority first. Indicators with late data show Data overdue, and the Status filter can show only those. Select an indicator to open its detail view, with a trend chart, the values for every period, when each was updated, and its reference sheet.
Open the Follow-up tab to act on each alert:
- Owner: the responsible role of the indicator by default. Change it if someone else will follow up.
- Status: Open, In follow-up or Resolved. An alert closes by itself when the problem is fixed, for example when the missing data is entered.
- Action taken or agreed: what was done or decided, such as “Data requested from the field team by 20 October”.
Alerts left open longer than the escalation period are marked Escalated and move to the top of the list.
10
Review, report and share the results
Hold a review meeting with the team and partners every period or at the interval set in Settings. On the Follow-up tab, select Record a review meeting and note the date, the participants and the decisions and actions agreed. The tool also saves how many indicators were on track at that moment.
Then, on the Reports and export tab, choose what you need:
- Print or save as PDF: a landscape Indicator Tracking Table with a summary, actuals by period, open follow-up actions and review meetings. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.
- Download Excel: a workbook with five sheets: the ITT summary, data by period with disaggregation (ready for pivot tables), the indicator reference, follow-up actions and review meetings.
- CSV files: the ITT summary or data by period, for Google Sheets, Power BI, Stata or R.
Before sending a report, check the export against the tracker, and make sure the figures in your narrative report match the ITT.
11
Back up and protect the data
The software saves your projects only in your browser. After every reporting period, select Download backup and store the file in a secure, approved location. Use Restore backup to continue on another computer or to hand over to a colleague.
On a shared computer, use Settings › Clear all data from this browser when you finish, after downloading a backup. Make sure a second team member knows how to restore the backup.
12
Review and improve the system
Once a year, or before a mid-term review, run the Indicator Tracking System Checklist: 47 checks across eight areas, from project set-up to data protection, each showing where to fix it in the software. It gives you a score and priority actions. For a workshop, use the blank PDF version.
How status and % achieved are calculated
Two settings on each indicator decide how progress is calculated.
| How periods combine | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cumulative (sum of periods) | New people or items counted each period | 18 + 26 + 22 = 66 businesses started |
| Latest value | Percentages, rates and status indicators | 30% in Q2, 41% in Q3 = 41% |
| Best value in any period | The best result reached; the lowest value when lower is better | Attendance of 70, 85 and 80 = 85 |
| Average of periods | Indicators reported as a mean across periods | 50, 60 and 70 = 60 |
| % achieved formula | Calculation | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Actual ÷ Target | Actual ÷ Target × 100 | The baseline is zero and higher is better |
| Progress from baseline | (Actual − Baseline) ÷ (Target − Baseline) × 100 | The baseline is not zero, or lower is better |
With Targets to date, where set, the tool compares the actual with the target expected by the indicator’s latest reported period: the sum of period targets up to that period for cumulative indicators, or the latest period target for the others. A Yes/No milestone counts as 100% when achieved and 0% when not. The detail view shows both the % of the target to date and the % of the end-of-project target. Status uses the project thresholds unless the indicator has its own under Thresholds and data checks.
A worked example
The example project, a youth livelihoods programme reporting quarterly in 2026, shows how the rules work. As of October 2026:
| Indicator | Data | Result and status |
|---|---|---|
| Youth completing vocational training | 110, 96 and 70 in Q1 to Q3; target 100 per quarter | 276 of 300 to date = 92% On track |
| Youth-led businesses started | 18, 26 and 22; period targets 20, 30 and 35 | 66 of 85 to date = 78% Moderate progress |
| Travel time to market (minutes, lower is better) | Baseline 90; 75 in Q2; Q2 target 70 | (75 − 90) ÷ (70 − 90) = 75% Moderate progress |
| Youth groups with a buyer agreement | 3 and 6 in Q1 and Q2; Q3 data due by 15 October | 9 of 13 to date = 69% Moderate progress; a “No data” alert from 16 October if Q3 is still missing |
Reading it: training is on track, but Q3 training fell 30% below target. The Training Coordinator owns that alert and has recorded the follow-up. Business start-ups lag behind, and the Q2 shortfall has been open since the July review without an action, so the tool escalates it to the Project Manager. These are the items for the next review meeting.
Understanding the alerts
Every alert becomes a follow-up action with an owner and a status. The list puts escalated alerts first, then high priority (setting errors and values outside the expected range), then missing data, variances and large changes, then unverified values. Open actions also appear in the PDF report and in the Excel workbook.
| Alert | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No end-of-project target | % achieved cannot be calculated | Add the target in Edit indicator |
| No baseline value | Progress from baseline cannot be calculated | Add the baseline, or note when it will be available |
| Lower is better, but % achieved uses Actual ÷ Target | The formula rewards the wrong direction | Switch to progress from baseline |
| Percentages are added up across periods | The actual is meaningless | Switch to latest value |
| No data for a period | Data due under the reporting frequency was not entered by the due date (the period end plus the grace period) | Follow up with the owner, or record why the data is not available |
| Value outside the expected range | A value, or a category, is below the expected minimum or above the expected maximum, such as a percentage above 100% | Check the value against the source and correct it |
| Large change from the previous period | The value changed more than the change threshold since the last reported period | Check the value, or add a note that explains the change |
| Period result with no explanation | The result differs from the period target by more than the variance threshold, with no note | Add a note in Data entry |
| Values not yet verified | Values have not been checked against source documents | Verify them before reporting |
How your data is protected
Your data never leaves your browser
- Stays on your device. Your projects are saved only in your browser. They are not sent to EvalCommunity or to any other server, so no one else can see, access or recover them.
- No AI involved. The software does not use AI. Your data is never sent to an AI service or used to train models.
- You stay in control. Download a backup to keep a copy, and clear your data from the browser when you finish on a shared computer.
- Protect the people in your data. Enter aggregated figures only. Do not enter names, phone numbers or other details that could identify participants.
Common mistakes to avoid
Tracking activities, not results
Link every indicator to a goal, outcome or output from the logframe.
No period targets
Without them, status is judged only against the end target and variances are not flagged.
Adding up percentages
Use latest value for percentages, rates and status indicators.
Wrong direction
Set Decrease and progress from baseline for indicators where lower is better.
Same person enters and verifies
Separate entry from verification in your roles matrix.
Alerts without an owner
Give every open alert an owner and an action, or it will be escalated.
No backup
The tracker lives in one browser. Download a backup after every period.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account or to pay?
No. The Indicator Tracking Software is free and runs in your browser without an account or installation.
Can several people work on the same project?
Each browser keeps its own copy. To share, one person downloads a backup and the other restores it. Agree who holds the master copy, and back it up after every update.
How is this different from the ITT Builder?
The ITT Builder creates a single Indicator Tracking Table with four periods. The Indicator Tracking Software manages a whole system: a results framework, up to 36 periods, period targets, disaggregation, verification, alerts and several projects.
How does escalation work?
Each alert counts the days it has been open; for missing data, from the date the data was due. After the number of days set in Settings, 30 by default, the alert becomes high priority and is marked as escalated to the role you named. Set the escalation period to 0 to turn it off.
Can I import my existing indicators?
Yes. Download the CSV template from Reports and export, fill it in (or save your Excel sheet as CSV), and select Import CSV. Files saved by European versions of Excel with semicolons are supported.
I used the previous version of the tool. Is my data lost?
No. Indicators saved by the previous version are moved automatically into a project called “Imported from the previous version”, with their latest values.
Sources and related resources
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