One of the key components of a successful poverty reduction strategy is a system for monitoring the implementation of the strategy and for tracking progress in poverty reduction. 'Beyond the Numbers' provides lessons on the design and functioning of such monitoring systems, which are based on the experiences of twelve countries. The book's focus is on the institutional arrangements of poverty reduction monitoring systems-the rules and processes that bring the various actors and monitoring activities together in a coherent framework-rather than on any particular activity or actor. This book provides practitioners with lessons and guidance, diagnostic tools, and a summary of the progresss made in the twelve countries that have embraced the poverty reduction strategy.