Developing Goals and Measurable Objectives

To be able to effectively evaluate your project, it is critical that you develop realistic goals and measurable objectives. The information below will help applicants in developing goals and objectives for use in your Project Narrative. It also provides examples of well-written goals and measurable objectives.

Goals

Definition − a goal is a broad statement about the long-term expectation of what should happen because of your program (the desired result). It serves as the foundation for developing your program objectives. Goals should align with the statement of need that is described. Goals should only be one sentence.

The characteristics of effective goals include:

• Goals address outcomes, not how outcomes will be achieved.
• Goals describe the behavior or condition in the community expected to change.
• Goals describe who will be affected by the project.
• Goals lead clearly to one or more measurable results.
• Goals are concise.

Examples

Objectives

Definition – Objectives describe the results to be achieved and the manner in which they will be achieved. Multiple objectives are generally needed to address a single goal. Well-written objectives help set program priorities and targets for progress and accountability. It is recommended that you avoid verbs that may have vague meanings to describe the intended outcomes, like “understand” or “know” because it may prove difficult to measure them. Instead, use verbs that document action, such as: “By the end of 2020, 75% of program participants will be placed in permanent housing. To be effective, objectives should be clear and leave no room for interpretation.

SMART is a helpful acronym for developing objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound:

Specific – Includes the “who” and “what” of program activities. Use only one action verb to avoid issues with measuring success. For example, “Outreach workers will administer the HIV risk assessment tool to at least 100 injection drug users in the population of focus” is a more specific objective than “Outreach workers will use their skills to reach out to drug users on the street.”

Measurable – How much change is expected. It must be possible to count or otherwise quantify an activity or its results. It also means that the source of and mechanism for collecting measurement data can be identified and that collection of the data is feasible for your program. A baseline measurement is required to document change (e.g., to measure the percentage of increase or decrease). If you plan to use a specific measurement instrument, it is recommended that you incorporate its use into the objective. Example: By 9/20 increase by 10% the number of 8th, 9th, and 10th grade students who disapprove of marijuana use as measured by the annual school youth survey.

Achievable – Objectives should be attainable within a given time frame and with available program resources. For example, “The new part-time nutritionist will meet with seven teenage mothers each week to design a complete dietary plan” is a more achievable objective than “Teenage mothers will learn about proper nutrition.”

Realistic – Objectives should be within the scope of the project and propose reasonable programmatic steps that can be implemented within a specific time frame. For example, “Two ex-gang members will make one school presentation each week for two months to raise community awareness about the presence of gangs” is a more realistic objective than “Gang-related violence in the community will be eliminated.”

Time-bound – Provide a time frame indicating when the objective will be measured or a time by when the objective will be met. For example, “Five new peer educators will be recruited by the second quarter of the first funding year” is a better objective than “New peer educators will be hired.”

Examples