Learn how to develop SMART+C objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timed, and Challenging) for your efforts. Show
To obtain results, we need to articulate the outcomes we desire. This section focuses on developing specific objectives that will help make your vision and mission a reality. What are objectives?Objectives are the specific measurable results of the initiative. Objectives specify how much of what will be accomplished by when. For example, one of several objectives for a community initiative to promote care and caring for older adults might be: "By 2024 (by when), to increase by 20% (how much) those elders reporting that they are in daily contact with someone who cares about them (of what)." There are three basic types of objectives. They are:
It's important to understand that these different types of objectives aren't mutually exclusive. Most groups will develop objectives in all three categories. Objectives should be S.M.A.R.T. + C.:
Why should you create objectives?There are many good reasons to develop objectives for your initiative. They include:
When should you create objectives?Your community organization should create objectives when:
How do you create objectives?So once your organization has decided that it does wish to develop objectives, how do you go about doing so? Let's look at the process that will help you to define and refine objectives for your organization. Define or reaffirm your vision and mission statementsThe first thing you will need to do is review the vision and mission statements your organization has developed. Before you determine your objectives, you should have a "big picture" that they fit into. Determine the changes to be madeThe crux of writing realistic objectives is learning what changes need to happen in order to fulfill your mission. There are many ways to do this, including:
At this point in the planning process, you don't need hard and fast answers to the above questions. What you should develop as part of this step is a general list of what needs to occur to make the changes you want to see.
Collect baseline data on the issues to be addressedAs soon as your organization has a general idea of what it wants to accomplish, the next step is to develop baseline data on the issue to be addressed. Baseline data are the facts and figures that tell you how big the problem is; it gives specific figures about the extent to which it exists in your community. Baseline data can indicate the incidence (new cases) of a problem in the community. For example, "Malott County has an adolescent pregnancy rate of 12.3 pregnancies for every thousand teenage girls." Such data can also reveal the prevalence (existing cases) of the problem. For example, "In Jefferson County, 35% of teens reported that they did not use contraceptives during the last time they had sex." Baseline data may also measure community attitudes towards a problem. For example, "65% of the residents of Malott County do not consider teen pregnancy to be an important problem for the community." Why collect baseline data? This information is important because baseline data provides your organization with the numbers; the starting points against which you can measure how much progress you have made. Not only is this information helpful when originally asking for financial (or other) assistance, it can help you show what your organization has done later in its lifetime. So, early in your organization's life, you can prove to funders that there really is a very significant problem in your community that needs to be addressed ("Malott County's adolescent pregnancy rate is the highest in the state of Georgia.") Then, when asked later in the life of your community initiative, "What have you done?" you will be able to answer, "Since our coalition was formed, Malott County has seen pregnancy among teens drop by 35%." If you don't collect (or obtain) the baseline information, you can't prove how much you have done. How do you collect this information? There are two basic ways to collect baseline data:
Decide what is realistic for your organization to accomplishOnce you know what you want to do, as well as exactly how big the problem is, it's time to figure out how much you believe your organization can accomplish. Do you have the resources to affect all of the goals you looked at in Step Two? And to what extent will you be able to achieve them? These questions are difficult ones to answer. It's hard for a new organization to know what it can reasonably expect to get done. For example, if you are trying to increase rates of childhood immunization, will your organization be able to increase it by 5% in three years, or by 20% in one year? How do you make these decisions? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers. Your organization will need to take a good look at its resources, as well as talk to experts who have a sense of what is not only possible, but likely. For example, you might ask members of organizations who have done similar things, or researchers in your topic area what they believe makes sense. Remember, you are attempting to set objectives that are both achievable and challenging. It's hard to hit just the right note of balance between these two qualities, and you may not always get it just right. Research and experience, however, should help you come closer and closer to this goal. Set the objectives for your organization or initiativeWith all of this information in mind, your organization is ready to set some short-term goals or objectives that are feasible but demanding. Remember, objectives refer to specific measurable results. These changes in behavior, outcome, and process must be able to be tracked and measured in such a way to show that a change has occurred.
Your organization's list of objectives should do all of the following:
Let's look at one more example of some objectives; these goals come from an organization focusing on preventing adolescent substance use.
Review the objectives your organization has createdBefore you finalize your objectives, it makes sense for members of your organization to review them one more time, and possibly, ask people outside of your organization to review them as well. You might ask members of your organization who were not involved in the development process to review your work. You may also wish to get the thoughts of local experts, targets and agents of change, and/or of people doing similar work in other communities to review what you have developed. You can ask reviewers to comment on:
Use your objectives to define your organization's strategiesFinally, once you have your objectives, you are ready for the next step: developing the strategies that will make them possible. Once your objectives are finished, and satisfactory to members of the organization and important people outside of your group, you are ready to move on to developing successful strategies. In SummaryDeveloping objectives is a critical step in the planning process. The next section covers how to develop strategies to achieve the objectives you have set. Online Resources Chapter 16: Behavioral Community Approaches in the "Introduction to Community Psychology" outlines how large, complicated problems can be broken down into smaller ones, the importance of studying and bringing about change in observable behaviors, and how behavioral approaches are used in Community Psychology. SMART Objectives is a Public Health & Quality Improvement tool from the Minnesota Department of Health. Print Resources Barry, B. (1982). Strategic planning workbook for non-profit organizations. St. Paul, MN: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. Bryson, J. (1988). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Coover, V., et al. (1985). Resource manual for a living revolution: a handbook of skills & tools for social change activists. Philadelphia: New Society Publisher. Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K. P., Lewis, R., Williams, E., Harris, K., Winter, K., in collaboration with Bradley, B. & Copple, J. (1992). Preventing adolescent substance abuse: an action planning guide for community -based initiatives. Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas. Fawcett, S., Paine, A., Francisco, V., Richter, K., Lewis, R., Harris, K., Williams, E., & Fischer, J., in collaboration with Vincent, M., & Johnson, C. (1992). Preventing adolescent pregnancy: an action planning guide for community-based initiatives. Lawrence, KS: Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development, University of Kansas. Kansas Health Foundation. VMOSA: An approach to strategic planning. Wichita, KS: Kansas Health Foundation. Lord, R. (1989). The non-profit problem solver: A management guide. New York, NY: Praeger Publishers. Olenick, J., & Olenick, R. (1991). A non-profit organization operating manual: planning for survival and growth. New York, NY: Foundation Center. Stonich, P. (1982). Implementing strategy: making strategy happen. Cambridge: Ballinger Publishing Company. Unterman, I., & Davis, R. (1984). Strategic management of not-for-profit organizations. New York, NY: CBS Educational and Professional Publishing. Wolff, T. (1990). Managing a non-profit organization. New York, NY: Prentice Hall Press. Organizations American Planning Association What is a process of deciding on the objective of the Organisation?Strategy Formulation- Strategy formulation is the process of deciding best course of action for accomplishing organizational objectives and hence achieving organizational purpose.
What is the process of developing an Organisational strategy?Strategic planning process steps. Determine your strategic position. This preparation phase sets the foundation for all work going forward. ... . Prioritize your objectives. ... . Develop a plan. ... . Execute and manage the plan. ... . Review and revise the plan.. What are the strategic goals of an organization?Strategic goals are the specific financial and non-financial objectives and results a company aims to achieve over a specific period of time, usually the next three to five years.
What is the process of strategic planning?Strategic planning is a process in which an organization's leaders define their vision for the future and identify their organization's goals and objectives. The process includes establishing the sequence in which those goals should be realized so that the organization can reach its stated vision.
|