The article – which is entitled “Reimagining beneficiary metrics: perspectives from Global South practitioners in community development” – calls for a shift towards data collection methods that are driven by the learning needs of communities rather than solely by reporting requirements of donors. The authors explain:

“By reimagining beneficiary metrics, the development sector can better capture meaningful, sustainable change and empower local leadership.”

More specifically, they write that it’s time to move beyond detailed counts of beneficiaries and tracking numbers or outputs on services delivered:

“Instead, we should focus on signs of success or progress that reflect a deeper impact, such as levels of trust, skill development, or how safe people feel. Capturing both broad trends and specific details can better serve the diverse needs of stakeholders—especially the communities at the heart of these efforts."

You can read the full article in Development in Practice.

If you can't access it, send us a note at info@firelightfoundation.org and we can share a copy with you.