Define your participation numbers once
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Learning hub · LeadersLeaders · Measurement · Tool · 10 min to use
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Define Your Participation Numbers Once
Counts become misleading when different staff use the same word for different things. Define basic measures before comparing programs or reporting growth to a partner.
When to use it
Use this when attendance totals, registrations and unique participants are being used interchangeably.
Put It into Practice
- Write plain definitions for registrations, places, session visits and unique participants, including the time period and how repeat attendance is counted.
- Choose the approved records used for each measure and assign one owner to resolve missing or duplicate entries without exposing participant identities in reports.
- Test the definitions on a small example and label every published figure accordingly, noting incomplete records instead of filling gaps with assumptions.
What It Can Look Like
Twenty athletes attending four sessions can represent eighty visits, but the report labels those as visits rather than claiming eighty different young people participated.
Your notes stay on this page. They are not saved or sent. Print before leaving to keep a copy.
Take it with you: Consistent definitions make useful comparisons possible and keep simple activity counts from becoming inflated claims about reach or impact.