Measure useful search-support work

An appeal can receive thousands of views without producing a usable lead. That does not make sharing pointless, but it means reach and outcomes should be recorded separately. A practical activity log helps a family or organization see what work has actually been completed.

Define a useful outcome

Examples include a correction applied to a major source, a new witness account passed to the responsible authority, or an outdated poster updated. These are concrete actions. They still do not establish that a person has been located.

Keep any assessment of a lead with the people responsible for assessing it. Do not label a message “verified” merely because a helper read it or several people forwarded it.

Use simple measures

• Public sources checked and corrected.
• Relevant information handed to an authorized recipient.
• Open questions and responsible owners.
• Distribution partners notified of an update.

Record dates and sources so the activity can be checked. Avoid collecting unnecessary information about people who viewed or shared an appeal.

Report limits alongside progress

If an outcome is unknown, say so. A delivered email is evidence of an attempted handoff, not proof that the recipient acted. A possible match is not a reunion.

For Wakif and other online tools, meaningful evaluation should distinguish browsing, submissions, reviewed reports, and confirmed outcomes. Do not turn activity counts into a success rate unless the underlying definitions and evidence support that calculation.