Target Setting Guide for USAID Mission Education Offices

This guidance note provides information to Mission Education Offices on best practices for establishing ambitious and realistic targets for both output- and outcome-level indicators. While the primary audience for this note is USAID Mission staff, USAID implementing partners may also find the information useful as they work with Missions on setting targets. 

Targets are one method in appraising progress relative to expectations established during planning. They serve as an important accountability mechanism for USAID Operating Units and are an important tool for managing strategic, project and activity objectives. ADS 201 requires that targets be set at the activity level and makes targets optional at the strategic and project levels. In order to set targets, this note sets out a framework for setting targets that follows three principles: collaborating with key stakeholders on relevant documentation and information prior to the target setting process; documenting the target-setting process including any decisions, analyses and assumptions; and socializing the results of each stage of the target setting process with stakeholders.

Additional resources and data collection tools related to the Target-Setting process:

Education Reporting Toolkit
The single resource to learn about up-to-date USAID reporting requirements, including a full list of indicators, performance and key issue narratives, and other data collection and analysis tools.

Benchmarking Toolkit
This resource provides guidance on benchmarking for reading and math using the Policy Linking Method which is relevant for several of the education-related USAID standard foreign assistance indicators.

Early Grade Reading Assessment Toolkit
This resource contains all of the information needed to use the Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA), one of the main early grade reading assessments recommended by USAID.

Early Grade Mathematics Assessment Toolkit
This resource contains all of the information needed to use the Early Grade Mathematics Assessment (EGMA), one of the main early grade math assessments recommended by USAID.

Social and Emotional Learning and Soft Skills Toolkit
This resource provides guidance on how to program and measure socio-emotional learning/soft skills development.

Workforce Outcomes Reporting Questionnaire Toolkit
This resource contains all of the information needed to use the Workforce Outcomes Reporting Questionnaire (WORQ), USAID's main data collection tool for workforce development outcomes.