The Handbook is divided into the following five parts:
- Part 1 consists of an overview of RBM, Including its origins and international context, as well as its place in the United Nations reform agenda, in general, and in UN-Habitat in particular.
- Part 2 deals with RBM in planning. It presents the general approach to planning using RBM principles and tools before presenting how planning for results in UN-Habitat is undertaken at strategic, programme and project levels.
- Part 3 presents RBM in monitoring and reporting. It also presents the general concepts of monitoring and reporting, before dealing with monitoring and reporting for results in UN-Habitat at strategic, programme and project levels.
- Part 4 deals with RBM in evaluation. It presents the basic principles of evaluation in the UN system in general, and in UN-Habitat in particular. It provides guidance on how to plan and conduct evaluations in UN-Habitat.
- Part 5 is about capacity building, knowledge management and innovations in RBM.
The five sections are mutually reinforcing and make up a coherent whole. At the same time, each section is designed to stand alone by reiterating the key introductory concepts, and can be read by itself.