What Are the Basic Steps?

Define Goals and Objectives

Make sure that you clearly understand your program’s goals and objectives before measuring performance or evaluating your program. The most important reason to prepare measurable goals and objectives is to ensure that you do not undermine your intended results.

Tips To Remember!

Be careful about defining goals too narrowly so that they appear to be outcomes.
Beware of stating activities as goals or objectives.
Be sure not to write compound goals and objectives.
Be realistic.

A goal is a measurable statement of the desired long-term, global impact of the program. Goals generally address change. For example, “Our program will make comprehensive services available to 50 victims of human trafficking.”
An objective is a specific, measurable statement of the desired immediate or direct outcomes of the program that support the accomplishment of a goal. For example, “Our program will provide shelter to 50 victims of human trafficking over the next 12 months.”

Both goals and objectives should be tangible and measurable. Use the exercise in exhibit 2 to help develop a program goal or adopt one that you feel accurately captures your mission.

Exhibit 2
Preparing Measureable Goals and Objectives

The ABCDEs of writing measurable goals and objectives include the who, what, by when, and to-what-degree information for your program goals and objectives.

Audience—Who?
The population/target audience for whom the desired outcome is intended.

Behavior—What is to happen?
A clear statement of the behavior change/results expected.

Condition—By when?
The conditions under which measurements will be made. This may refer to the timeframe and/or implementation of a specific intervention.

Degree—By how much?
The quantification, or level, of results expected. This often involves measuring change in comparison to an identified baseline.

Evidence—As measured by?
The definition of the method of measuring the expected change. The degree of change (set forth above) will be measured using a specific instrument or criterion.

Using the method above, here are steps for developing goals and objectives:

To develop measurable goals—

Step 1: Identify the long-term, global outcome(s) you want to achieve.
Step 2: Identify each of the elements (A, B, C, D, E).
Step 3: Formulate the goal statement using each of the necessary elements.

To develop measurable objectives—

Step 1: Identify the short-term, more immediate outcome(s) you want to achieve.
Step 2: Identify each of the elements (A, B, C, D, E).
Step 3: Formulate the objective statement using each of the necessary elements.