Indicator SMART Check

Paste an M&E indicator, get a SMART assessment, red flags, and a suggested rewrite using a SMART formula template.

What it does

Reviews a single M&E indicator statement against the five SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound), flags red flags (compound indicators, directional language, target in statement, undefined terms, missing data source), and proposes a SMART rewrite using one of four formula templates. Knowledge files are compiled from the MEStudio SMART Indicator Formula Sheet, the /reference SMART indicators entry, and the curated indicator library.

When to use it

The skill activates automatically on these triggers.

  • You have a draft indicator and want a quick quality check before submission
  • You are reviewing indicators in a proposal or M&E plan one at a time
  • You want a SMART rewrite for an indicator that uses vague or directional language
  • You want to verify that your indicator is direction-neutral, target-less, and one-dimensional

When NOT to use it

  • You want to generate new indicators from a program description (use the MEStudio indicator library at /indicators)
  • You want a full logframe or M&E plan review across many indicators (use the me-review plugin at /plugins)
  • You want general SMART theory or learning content (see /reference/smart-indicators)

Example

You paste

Number of farmers trained in conservation agriculture

Claude returns

**SMART Assessment** | Criterion | Pass | Evidence | |---|---|---| | Specific | ✓ | Population (farmers) and content (conservation agriculture) are named. | | Measurable | ✗ | No data source identified. Method of counting is implied but not stated. | | Achievable | ✓ | No target stated; metric is feasible. | | Relevant | ✗ | Measures activity (training), not the intended behavior change. | | Time-bound | ✗ | No measurement frequency or reporting period. | **Red Flags** - Measures output (number trained), not outcome (whether practices are applied) **Suggested Rewrite** Percentage of farmers who have applied at least 3 of 5 listed conservation agriculture practices during the current growing season in target districts, measured through annual household survey. **Notes** If the program goal is behavior change, this outcome-level rewrite better captures whether training translated to practice. Keep "number trained" as an output indicator in a separate row if needed for activity tracking.

Install in claude.ai

  1. 1

    Download the skill zip below.

  2. 2

    In claude.ai, click your name (bottom-left) then Settings.

  3. 3

    Go to Features then Skills (Pro / Max / Team / Enterprise plan with code execution).

  4. 4

    Upload the zip. The skill installs in seconds.

  5. 5

    Paste an indicator (or matching content) and Claude activates the skill automatically.

Plan requirement: Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise with code execution enabled. Custom skills are uploaded per-user; each team member uploads their own copy.

Not yet published

This skill is built and benchmark-tested but not yet packaged for public download. The page is up so the install flow can be reviewed. Email through the contact page to be notified when it ships.

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Related

SMART indicators reference
Indicator library
Indicator prompts

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