I. >> H  uman Rights and Indicators: Rationale and Some Concerns >> Human rights indicators - notion and rationale Consider figure IV, which presents a crosstabulation of the four categories of indicators: quantitative, qualitative, fact-based and judgementbased. It illustrates the opportunities for using different categories of indicators in undertaking human rights assessments. Each category has its potential use (see also discussion in chap. III on data-generating mechanisms), yet ideally if there is a choice the preference would be for indicators from quadrant A over C, and B over D, or AC over BD, and A over the rest. In other words, when each of the four quadrants has something to offer by way of relevant information and indicators on the subject being assessed, the said order of preference is likely to make the assessment more objective and acceptable to the parties involved. However, in general, in the context of this Guide there is a tendency to use information from quadrant A, C and to some extent B. Regarding the indicators in quadrant B, the focus is on the category of subjective indicators that can be more easily obtained through statistically representative surveys like the “percentage of individuals who feel safe walking alone at night” (example 1).18 Moreover, information and indicators that are fact-based and quantitative in nature (quadrant A) can provide a sense of magnitude and overcome certain bias in information generation and its interpretation that other non-quantitative and judgement-based information and indicators may not. This makes it worthwhile to use further fact-based and quantitative information and indicators, to the extent that their use adds value to the human rights assessments. 3 Performance and compliance indicators In recent years, having accepted the objective of mainstreaming human rights in their mandated activities, including development cooperation activities, the United Nations system’s agencies and programmes have been seeking tools and monitoring methodologies that could help them in assessing their performance on the said objective. A need for such tools and related indicators has also been expressed by donors who want to use human rights standards to guide their assistance programmes in the recipient countries. The approach, in such cases, has been to bring in human rights cross-cutting norms of non-discrimination and equality, participation and accountability in supporting the implementation of the ongoing activities. There have also been some attempts at modifying the mandates or stated programming objectives by referring to specific human rights standards. As a result, indicators have been identified and toolkits developed that use what are essentially performance indicators. The primary objective of performance indicators is to allow the verification of changes produced by development intervention relative to what was planned. They are based on programming principles and terminologies (such as input-output-outcome-impact categorization of indicators, see also chap. V, sect. A 2) and anchored essentially in the respective programme activities. Such indicators can be used to monitor the performance of programme activities and to assess their conformity to some of the cross-cutting human rights norms.19 However, performance indicators, though helpful in furthering an approach based on human rights in development programming, capture only some aspects of the cross-cutting human rights 18. The importance and meaning of surveys based on representative population samples and statistically sound methodology are highlighted further in chapter III. 19. UNDP, “Indicators for human rights based approaches to development in UNDP programming: a users’ guide”, March 2006. Available from http://web.undp.org/oslocentre/docs06/HRBA%20indicators%20guide.pdf. Human Rights Indicators 19