Service Interruptions (PI3720)

This metric is intended to capture the number of times within the reporting period that a service—for example, electricity, running water, or internet service—is interrupted or unavailable to clients. Organizations may use Product/Service Detailed Type (PD1516) to describe or disaggregate this metric by services provided. This metric, compared to the total duration of the reporting period, indicates the quality of services provided.

Organizations are encouraged to use this metric in combination with Service Hours Provided (PI5683). Organizations may choose to use Service Hours Interrupted (PI2230) to capture the total hours of interruption rather than the number of interruptions.

In sanitation-related investments, this metric captures the number of blockages in the sewer system. Blockages can reflect many underlying issues, including the effectiveness of routine operational and maintenance activities, the hydraulic performance of the network, and the general condition of the pipes. The number of blockages comprises administrative data that should come from the service provider (for example, the utility company). This metric is aligned with IBNET 10.1 and 79 (https://www.ib-net.org/toolkit/ibnet-data/sewerage-service/).

This metric is often used by International Finance Institutions (IFIs) as part of infrastructure analysis.

This metric may help describe the HOW MUCH Scale dimension, which helps estimate the number of the targeted stakeholders experiencing the outcome. For more on the alignment of IRIS metrics to the five dimensions of impact, see IRIS+ and the Five Dimensions of Impact (https://iris.thegiin.org/document/iris-and-the-five-dimensions/). No single metric is sufficient to understand an impact; rather, metrics are selected as a set across all dimensions of impact. The selection of metrics to measure and describe the five dimensions should be based on best practice and evidence.