The problem with self-reported progress
When field entries update the official count the instant they're submitted, there's no check between "I did this" and "this is confirmed done." A rushed entry, a duplicate, or an honest mistake flows straight into the number a client sees.
Approval as a checkpoint, not a bottleneck
A single supervisor review — approve, edit or return — before an entry counts toward official progress catches most of these issues without slowing the field team down. The field team keeps working; only the running total waits for a quick check.
What this buys you
Numbers you can defend in a client meeting. A clear distinction between "submitted" and "verified" in every dashboard. And when a number is questioned, an audit trail that shows exactly who approved what, and when.