Data Source

Resist the temptation to put all the data that you need to compute your indicators in a single data source. By doing so your risk loosing most of what makes Monitool useful:

• Track the quality and progress of data collection

• Assign data collection tasks to identified users

• Highlight data that is missing

Definition

Data sources should represent a single source of data that is backed by actual data collection in the field. It describe how and when data is collected to compute indicators.

As a general rule, a data source is a document or a system that contains data that is relevant to the project.

Any of the following can be a data source:

• Surveys from target population

• Reports from field staff

• Reports from a partner organization

• Health information systems

• Data from government agencies

• Data from accounting software

Which data should I track?

It can be tempting to track all the data that you can think of, but remember that data collection is time-consuming, and is only a small part of the work that needs to be done to have reliable indicators (cleaning, analysis, etc.).

Start by tracking the minimum amount of data that you need to compute your indicators. If you find that you need more data, you can always add more at a later stage.

We recommend following the recommended order for setting up a project in Monitool. It will help you to focus on the most important data first.