Entering Data

This guide is primarily for Reporters — the team members responsible for submitting indicator values for their assigned projects at the end of each reporting period.

It also covers the review and approval process that M&E Officers follow after data is submitted.

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Who Enters Data?

Role	Responsibility
Reporter	Submits indicator values for assigned projects and periods
M&E Officer	Reviews submissions, requests corrections, and approves or rejects data
Org Admin	Can submit and approve data for any project

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Finding Your Assigned Indicators

When you log in as a Reporter, your dashboard shows only the projects and indicators you are assigned to. To submit data:

1. Open your Dashboard
2. Click the project you need to report on, or navigate via Projects in the sidebar
3. Click the Indicators tab on the project detail page
4. You will see all indicators linked to this project with their current status for the active reporting period

📸 Figure 7.1 — Reporter's Project Indicators View

The Indicators tab as seen by a Reporter role. Each indicator row shows the indicator name, the current reporting period (e.g., "Q1 2026"), the period target, and a "Submit Data" button. Indicators already submitted show a "Submitted" badge (yellow) or "Approved" badge (green). Indicators not yet started show a gray "Not started" badge.

File: user-manual/images/07-01-reporter-indicators.png

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Submitting an Indicator Value

1. Find the indicator you want to submit for
2. Click Submit Data on the indicator row
3. The data entry form opens:

📸 Figure 7.2 — Data Entry Form

The indicator data entry slide-over panel. At the top, it shows the indicator name, code, and unit. Below that: a "Reporting Period" selector dropdown (showing the active period), a large "Value" number input with the unit label (e.g., "people"), a "Target" display showing the period target (read-only), a "Progress Preview" that updates in real-time as you type the value, and a "Narrative" text area. At the bottom: Save as Draft and Submit buttons.

File: user-manual/images/07-02-data-entry-form.png

Fill in the following fields:

Field	Required	Description
Reporting Period	✅	Select the period you are reporting for (e.g., Q1 2026)
Value	✅	The actual number achieved during this period
Narrative		A brief explanation of the result — what worked, what didn't, context for the number

4. Choose one of the two action buttons:
   • Save as Draft — saves your entry without submitting. You can come back and edit it later.
   • Submit — sends the data for M&E Officer review. You cannot edit a submitted entry without it being rejected back to you.

TIP

Always add a narrative, even if brief. M&E Officers and donors appreciate knowing the story behind the numbers — what activities produced this result, any challenges faced, or why the value is higher or lower than expected.

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Entering Disaggregated Values

If the indicator has disaggregations (e.g., by sex, age group, or location), you will see additional fields in the data entry form:

📸 Figure 7.3 — Disaggregated Data Entry

The data entry form for an indicator with a "Sex" disaggregation. Three fields appear under "Breakdown by Sex": Female (input), Male (input), Non-binary (input). A "Total" field below automatically sums all three values as you type. A warning appears if the total doesn't match the overall value entered above.

File: user-manual/images/07-03-disaggregated-entry.png

Enter the value for each category. The system automatically sums them and sets that as the overall value. If the sum doesn't match a value you typed in the main field, a warning appears — resolve this before submitting.

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Saving and Editing Drafts

Drafts are saved automatically as you type and can be accessed at any time before submission.

To return to a draft:

1. Go to the project → Indicators tab
2. Find the indicator — it shows a Draft badge
3. Click Edit Draft to continue

WARNING

Drafts are not visible to M&E Officers. Only submitted values appear in the review queue. Make sure to click Submit when your data is ready for review.

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What Happens After Submission

Once you submit a value, it enters the review workflow:

Reporter submits → Status: Submitted (yellow)
M&E Officer reviews →
  ✅ Approved → Status: Approved (green) → included in reports
  ❌ Rejected → Status: Rejected (red) → returned to Reporter for correction

You will receive a notification if your submission is rejected. The M&E Officer's comment will explain what needs to be corrected.

To correct a rejected submission:

1. Click on the indicator row
2. Click Edit Submission
3. Make the corrections
4. Click Resubmit

📸 Figure 7.4 — Submission Status Badges

A close-up of the indicator table showing four rows with different status badges: "Draft" (gray), "Submitted" (yellow), "Approved" (green), and "Rejected" (red). The Rejected row has a small tooltip icon that shows the rejection reason when hovered.

File: user-manual/images/07-04-submission-status.png

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Reviewing and Approving Data (M&E Officers)

M&E Officers see a Review Queue on their dashboard showing all pending submissions across all projects.

Reviewing a submission

1. Navigate to a project → Indicators tab, or open the review queue from the dashboard notification
2. Click on a Submitted indicator
3. Review the value, the narrative, and any disaggregated breakdown
4. Compare against the period target and any supporting documents
5. Choose one of the actions:

Approve

Click Approve to confirm the value is accurate. You can add an optional approval comment for the record.

Once approved:

• The status changes to Approved (green)
• The value is included in report assembly
• The reporter receives a notification

Reject

Click Reject if the value needs correction. You must enter a rejection reason — this is sent to the reporter.

📸 Figure 7.5 — Approval / Rejection Dialog

The review dialog showing a submitted indicator value with its narrative. Below the narrative are two large buttons: "Approve" (green) and "Reject" (red). When "Reject" is clicked, a text area appears requiring a rejection reason before the rejection can be confirmed.

File: user-manual/images/07-05-approval-dialog.png

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Data Entry via Forms

In addition to direct indicator entry, reporters can submit data through Data Collection Forms — custom forms with multiple questions that feed into indicator values. See the Data Collection Forms guide for details.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I submit data for a period that has already been locked? No. Locked periods reject new submissions. If a correction is needed after a period is locked, contact your M&E Officer to temporarily unlock it.

What if I submitted the wrong value? Ask your M&E Officer to reject the submission with a note. Once rejected, you can edit and resubmit the correct value.

Can I submit values for multiple periods at once? Yes — use the period dropdown in the data entry form to select any open (unlocked) period.

Is there an import option for bulk data entry? Excel import is on the roadmap. Currently, values must be entered individually per indicator per period.