Key Terminology

The following terms and definitions are used throughout the indicator guides.

Primary Stakeholders are people who receive direct, intensive, and targeted assistance to meet their needs. These are individuals or groups directly involved in or affected by the project’s activities. More commonly they are known as direct beneficiaries. However, try to use the term primary stakeholders.

Indirect Stakeholders are individuals who do not receive direct, targeted assistance and have no direct link with project activities, but who may benefit indirectly from them. For example, Indirect Stakeholders may include family members of someone participating in vocational training or employees of a supported business. They might also be people who gain access to markets, schools, or healthcare through infrastructure improvements, such as a bridge built by a local authority. More commonly they are known as indirect beneficiaries. However, try to use the term secondary stakeholders.

Further guidance on counting and reporting primary and secondary stakeholders  

Target population refers to the specific group that a project or programme aims to engage or impact. This group is selected based on factors such as location, age, gender, or particular needs (e.g., migrants or underserved communities). The target population includes both primary stakeholders (those directly involved or benefiting) and Indirect Stakeholders (those indirectly affected by the project’s outcomes).

Community refers to a group of households within a defined geographical area, linked by social, economic, and/or cultural ties, often with shared leadership or administrative structure. Communities where HELVETAS operates may include towns, villages, neighbourhoods, or camps. Given the contextual nature of "community," this definition should be adapted to suit each project’s specific setting, ensuring it is applied consistently throughout the project’s lifecycle.

A representative sample is a subset of a (target) population that accurately reflects the characteristics of the larger group. This sample includes individuals or items chosen to mirror the diversity of the entire population in terms of relevant traits (such as age, gender, income level, or other factors). The sample size should be large enough to allow conclusions to be drawn with sufficient confidence (95 percent), and a low margin of error (5 percent) and it can be determined using a sample size calculator to ensure reliability and applicability of findings to the broader group.