Goals address outcomes, not how outcomes will be achieved; 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; and Goals are concise. Examples Unclear Goal Critique Improved Goal Increase the substance abuse and This goal could be Increase the capacity of the HIV/AIDS prevention capacity of improved by school district to reduce high-risk the local school district specifying an behaviors of students that may expected program contribute to substance abuse effect in reducing a and/or HIV/AIDS health problem Decrease the prevalence of This goal is not Decrease youth substance use in marijuana, alcohol, and concise the community by implementing prescription drug use among youth evidence-based programs within in the community by increasing the the school district that address number of schools that implement behaviors that may lead to the effective policies, environmental initiation of use. change, intensive training of teachers, and educational approaches to address high-risk behaviors, peer pressure, and tobacco use. 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 or because it may prove “understand” “know” difficult to measure them. Instead, use verbs that document action, such as: the “By end of 2018, 75% of program participants will be placed in permanent housing.”
Goals address outcomes, not how outcomes will be achieved; 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; and Goals are concise. Examples Unclear Goal Critique Improved Goal Increase the substance abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention capacity of the local school district This goal could be improved by specifying an expected program effect in reducing a health problem Increase the capacity of the school district to reduce high-risk behaviors of students that may contribute to substance abuse and/or HIV/AIDS Decrease the prevalence of marijuana, alcohol, and prescription drug use among youth in the community by increasing the number of schools that implement effective policies, environmental change, intensive training of teachers, and educational approaches to address high-risk behaviors, peer pressure, and tobacco use. This goal is not concise Decrease youth substance use in the community by implementing evidence-based programs within the school district that address behaviors that may lead to the initiation of use. 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 2018, 75% of program participants will be placed in permanent housing.”