The monitoring and collecting of sound and reliable information provide the bedrock for effective decision-making. Reporting involves the collection and compilation of data from your partners to develop a clearer picture of the response, facilitating data-driven decision-making. 

The level of detail and information required will depend on the stage of the emergency, e.g. first 48 hours, 72 hours, 5 days, first month, etc. At the onset of an emergency, the reporting situation is likely to be messy and chaotic. During this period, having incomplete information is better than having no information. As the response proceeds into the second month and beyond, the IMO will be able to train partners (see 4.2.3 for further details) and reporting will likely improve; this will enable more insightful and complete reporting.

An IM product calendar can be developed which clarifies the deadlines and the regular product timeline. It can be shared with partners or kept internally, to give some visibility on the regular deadlines for the IM department (DRC example for partner, Somalia for internal use).