Indicators are ubiquitous in development policy. Corruption, human trafficking, obstacles to doing business, child mortality and morbidity. There are indicators for all of these social problems. These indicators are not only methods of selecting, evaluating or publicizing development interventions —they are interventions in their own right! Indicators have potential to be constructive interventions in addressing wicked problems of development. Drawing on three case studies and a review of the literature, this report provides a framework for understanding the effects of producing indicators in global governance and transnational contexts relevant to development, drawing attention  o some pitfalls and perverse effects that can easily result from producing and using indicators without realizing that they are themselves interventions, or without  sufficiently far-reaching thought and consultations.