There are four ways to search for indicators in the registry.
1. You can use the "browse indicators" link on the left panel to get a complete list of all available indicators. This list can be sorted by alphabetically or by indicator id, which is useful if you already know the indicator you are looking for.
2. You can use the "Categories" menu tree on the left panel, which categories indicators by various criteria, such as “agency source”, “Target Population”, “Programme Focus”, etc. The lists in the sub-categories are small, which is useful if you already know the category of indicators you are looking for.
3. To search for a term appearing anywhere in the indicator’s metadata, you can use the “Search this site” feature on the left panel. By entering a term, such as “Orphanage”, in the text field and pressing the “Search” button, you will see a list of indicators that contain that word anywhere in their metadata.
4. Registered users with a login/password, have an advanced search option available to them. With the advanced search, users can focus their free text search words on a particular metadata field. They can also filter their search results by any items that has a preset list of values. For example, you can filter for indicators targeting Men-who-have-sex-with-men, and within that subset of indicators, search for indicators that have the word “prevention” in their Definition, using the advanced search.

Registration is free, and registered users have the following features available to them, which are not available to non-registered users:
1. Advanced search: Ability to focus search on particular fields, and to filter results by other fields.
2. Comments: Users can read comments and participate in discussions by leaving comments on indicators.
3. Indicator Export: Registered users can select single or groups of indicators to export in PDF, Excel, MS Word, or IXF3 (SDMX) formats.

This column is to show if the indicator has been approved by an Indicator Review Panel using the Indicator Standards.

Increasing demand for knowledge about responses to HIV has led to a massive proliferation of indicators intended to measure different aspects of responses to HIV. The UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG) launched an initiative to harmonise, improve the quality and reduce the quantity of indicators recommended for assessing responses to HIV. An agreed set of standards for indicators means that it is possible to assess the quality of indicators more objectively than was possible previously.

They are six agreed international standards for HIV indicators. Five of them relate to individual indicators and the sixth relates to indicator sets. They were developed by the Indicators Technical Working Group of the UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG). They were endorsed by the MERG in November 2009.

The five standards for an individual indicator are:

1. The indicator is needed and useful
2. The indicator has technical merit
3. The indicator is fully-defined
4. It is feasible to collect and analyse data for this indicator
5. The indicator has been field-tested or used in practice

The sixth standard for an indicator set is that it should be coherent and balanced.

More details of the standards are available in a set of operational guidelines for using the standards, which are available on the Global HIV M&E Information website.

An Indicator Review Panel (IRP) is a body established to review an indicator or group of indicators against the standards. The Indicators Technical Working Group of the UNAIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG) has established a number of IRPs to review international indicators,. These IRPs consist of five people selected because of their M&E expertise. They are expected to be independent of any development processes for the indicators they are reviewing. These IRPs are expected to give an independent assessment of the extent to which a particular indicator meets the standards.

Once an indicator has been approved by an Indicator Review Panel this will be marked in the column “Indicator Standards Approved”. The review work has just started, but in the beginning of 2011 the first indicators will have been reviewed by the IRPs and the approved indicators shown in the Registry

Only indicators available in the respective languages are shown. If you have indicators translated into French, Russian or Spanish that are not in the HIV Indicator Registry, please share them with us.

The work on the HIV Indicator Registry is ongoing. The next step will include using the newly developed Indicator Standards Tool developed by the UNAIDS Global Monitoring and Evaluation Reference Group (MERG) to review the indicators included in the Registry to ensure that indicators included in the registry are quality-assured. See What is the column “Indicator Standards Approved” shown next to indicators when browsing?

- Some useful links:
www.globalhivmeinfo.org
(Web site designed for monitoring and evaluation specialists supporting HIV initiatives in countries, headquarters, regional organizations, includes a lot of useful information, and many more links)

- www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/tools/monitoringandevaluationguidanceandt...
(Key monitoring and evaluation guidance and tools from UNAIDS and MERG (Monitoring & Evaluation Reference Group)

- www.unaids.org/en/dataanalysis/tools/aidsinfo
(AIDSinfo is a data visualization and dissemination tool to facilitate the use of AIDS-related data in countries and globally.)

Retired indicators are old indicators, which are no longer recommended by the MERG. For example, some indicators from the 2005 round of UNGASS are now retired.

To find old indicators, or indicators which are no longer recommended, use the "advanced search" option, and under the "Browse by Status" heading, click on the link "Retired" link. A list of all retired indicators will be shown.