Measuring Impact

Development projects are often assumed to address the needs of specific beneficiaries. It takes a lot of experience, foresight and skill for project planners and implementors to get into the habit of consciously designing projects that directly affect that segment of the population which is supposed to receive government assistance for the purpose of alleviating poverty.

With a third of the population in this region categorized as poor or living below the so-called poverty line, it is essential that the focus of projects be this group.

The question that always crops up in matters of this nature is: Are project planners and implementors deliberately targeting this group and undertaking project implementation that results without doubt in the increase in employment, income and well-being of the poor?

For example, when Pres. George W. Bush promised to provide U.S. assistance to Mindanao by constructing 1,500 classrooms it is assumed that these classrooms will be located in poor communities. Will they really be constructed in such communities or will many of them end up being constructed in urban middle-income communities? Of course, a related issue is, will the national government have the funds to hire 1,500 teachers to make these classrooms functional?

In addition, we can ask: Will children be able to go to school and be given quality education when their lives are endangered by the fighting?


In short, planners must be conscious of impact on literacy rather than be merely concerned with “inputs” like classrooms.

Corollarily, use of funds is a waste of resources if the beneficial impact is not attained.

In the same vein, we can ask: Will constructing a public market automatically improve the lives of vendors of that market and the people who will buy from that market? Supposing, after the market is constructed, sidewalk vending still persists, is the desired impact achieved?

Measuring impact should indeed be a major concern when designing projects that seek to achieve development goals.