SOAR SMART Objectives Toolkit - ethniccommunities.org

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A partnership of the International Rescue Committee, the Pan-African Association of Chicago, 

and Nationalities Services Center, Project Strengthening Organizations Assisting Refugees (SOAR) 

builds organizational capacity in refugee-serving organizations. Through on-site assessments and 

trainings, workshops and webinars, the development of practical materials, and one-on-one 

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telephone and email consultations, can help YOU connect with other refugee-serving 

organizations, diversity funding, assess your communities’ needs, create and implement 

strategic plans, recruit and develop volunteers, board members and staff, create powerful 

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outreach materials, and more. To learn more, email us at SOAR@theIRC.org and visit us at 

www.ethniccommunities.org. 

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Project Strengthening Organizations Assisting Refugees (Project SOAR) 

Guide to Writing SMART Objectives, Page 2 of 10 

What are SMART objectives Why should I create them, and how 

do I write them What’s the difference between goals, objectives 

and activities 

If you are asking yourself these questions, this Project SOAR toolkit is for you. 

After reviewing this brief toolkit and completing its activities, you will be able to: 

Explain to staff and volunteers why they should create SMART objectives. 

Write SMART objectives that will guide your work and that of your team. 

Decide how challenging your objectives should be – and how many 

objectives your projects should have. 

Distinguish between goals, objectives, and activities. 

Outline proven strategies to achieve your objectives. 

In describing your projects to funders or partners or writing reports or proposals, 

SMART objectives can assist you in describing what you hope to accomplish and how 

you hope to accomplish it. SMART objectives help you prioritize and explain your 

work – thus positioning your organization to secure more resources and improve your 

services for refugees. 

This resource was produced by the International Rescue Committee under Cooperative Agreement #90RB0028/02 with the 

U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement. You may distribute this resource with the following citation: Reprinted with the 

permission of the IRC. With questions about Project SOAR, contact SOAR@theIRC.org.



Part I: What’s the difference between goals, objectives and 

activities 

Goals – your broad intent 

Long-term changes in systems, policies, communities, organizations, or people that 

are the results of your activities. Goals often relate to changes in knowledge, skills, 

attitudes, behavior, or conditions. You may need as long as a decade to see your 

goals accomplished. They are things you can influence, but cannot claim full credit 

for. NOTE: Some people use “goal” and “outcome” interchangeably, while others 

consider goals to be broader than outcomes. 

For Example – Goals: 

Refugee youth trust and respect others. 

Refugee families are fully engaged in their communities. 

Refugee families have safe and affordable housing. 

Objectives – your intended outcome, and how you will gauge success 

SMART objectives – which are specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and 

timebound – are what you expect to result from the activities you carry out. They are 

the observable changes in refugees’ 

behavior, knowledge, or skills attributable 

to your project. Objectives answer 

questions like: what will happen as a result 

of our activities What difference will our 

activities make in the lives of refugees 

Most objectives will be attainable within 

the life of your project. Short-term 

objectives might take 1 to 3 years, while 

long term ones might take 4 to 6 years. 

For Example – Objectives: 

Tip: Most projects will have 

one or two objectives. 

Individuals can perform 

multiple goals, but the 

number varies depending 

on their background, 

experience, and workload. 

Too many objectives may 

result in people thinking they 

can’t meet their goal. 

Train 3 volunteers to use a new 

accounting system by March 20, 2009. 

Increase the number of case workers providing services to HIV positive 

refugees from 1 to 3 within 6 months of program launch 

Provide 25 refugees with start-up loans and monthly technical assistance to 

start their own small businesses before December 31, 2009. 

Instruct 30 mothers in English language and job readiness skills so that 90% of 

the mothers become successfully employed upon graduation. 

By 9/29/2009, increase by 60% funding to help refugees with job searches, 

transportation, and the purchase of uniforms. 






Even more jargon… outcomes and process objectives 

Outcomes (or “summative”) objectives are the end result of your work. Outcomes 

objectives would measure the percentage of refugees you place in permanent 

housing the day of their arrival, the number of refugee women who achieve job 

upgrades, or the number of English language learners who progress to a new grade 

level, to give a few examples. 

Process (or “formative”) objectives measure quality. Process objectives would 

measure the quality of an apartment building where you place newly arrived 

refugees, the frequency at which case notes are updated, and to what extent they 

meet standards you have created; or the extent of follow-up you make with a 

refugee client, after you refer her to an intensive ESL program. 

Activities – what you’ll do to achieve your objectives 

The procedures, processes, events, actions or interventions that you propose to use 

to cause changes in the refugees you aim to assist. Activities are what you DO with 

your inputs (see below). 

For Example – Activities: 

Identify one community-based mental health provider in Los Angeles 

County and another in Orange County 

Train 2 case workers on HIV case management procedures 

Review annually policies and procedures for Microenterprise program 

Translate school readiness curriculum into Nepali 

Pop Quiz! Now that you know the difference between goals, objectives and activities 

answer the following questions. (Answers at the end of this toolkit.) 

5. Improve English comprehension 1 level for 25 refugees, within 2 years of program 

enrollment 

(a) goal (b) objective (c) activity 

6. Recruit 100 female refugees who are not accessing healthcare as program 

participants 


7. Refugee families have living wage jobs 


8. Increase the number of health counselors providing services to HIV positive refugees 

from 1 to 3 by November 30, 2008. 


Some more definitions: 






Inputs: The human, financial, organizational, and community resources that you use 

through your activities to serve clients. Inputs include things like equipment, staff, 

volunteers, facilities, funding, and community goodwill. 

For Example – Inputs: 

grant from a community foundation 

partnership with the Workforce One Center 

job readiness training curriculum in three languages 

one full-time AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer 

Outputs: The amount of “stuff” you provide during the life of your project. Outputs are 

the PRODUCTS of program activities. Outputs answer questions like, “How much” 

and “How many” 

For Example – Outputs 

number of refugees taught 

number of dollars worth of training guides distributed 

number of referrals made 

number of hours of service provided 

Indicators: The observable conditions that will tell you that your project achieved its 

outcomes. Process indicators tell you about your project’s progression (i.e. about the 

availability, utilization, and quality of services). Result indicators tell you about 

whether your objectives have been achieved (i.e. changes in knowledge, 

perceptions, attitude, skills, or behaviors). Indicators answer questions like, “Are we 

there yet” 

For Example – Indicators: 

number of case managers trained 

percentage of trained immigration staff who received rating of “good” or 

“excellent” on final training exercise 

Part II: Why set SMART objectives 

SMART objectives – whether for a funder, a performance management system, or an 

annual plan – tell you what you must do to achieve your goals. They create vision 

and buy-in, and they can be as useful in your personal life as in your professional one. 

During project design and planning, setting objectives: 

Provides a vision for your project. 

Outlines what you will achieve. 






Builds shared understanding of your program and timelines for doing your work. 

Connects activities to your desired goals and objectives. 

During project implementation, setting objectives: 

Creates accountability. 

Helps you collect the data you need to document successes. 

Gives you language to tell your clients why 

they should take part in your programming, 

and what they will get out of it. 

Motivates your staff and volunteers. 

Assists with prioritizing your work. 

When writing reports and evaluating your 

success, setting objectives: 

Helps you see if you are meeting donors’ 

requirements. Federal, state, and private 

funders are increasingly requiring applicants 

to define measurable objectives that align 

with their funding priorities. 

Tip: When writing objectives, 

use action verbs that 

indicate a change and the 

direction that the change 

will take. Verbs such as: 

learn, understand, feel 

better, and be aware of, are 

not specific because you 

cannot observe people 

performing these things. See 

Appendix 1 for examples of 

action verbs. 

Helps managers and supervisors evaluate 

staff and volunteers – and helps Boards evaluate executive directors. 

Part III: What makes SMART objectives so smart 

S 

pecific. SMART objectives should outline who will be doing what, when, how 

much and who will benefit. Specific objectives tell the people who will be 

implementing the project exactly what is expected of them. 

To determine if your objectives are specific, ask yourself if they answer these 

questions: 

Is it clear what we are going to do 

Is the objective described with action verbs 

Is it clear who will do the work 

Do we state where the work will happen, and with and for whom 

By December 31, 2008, provide linguistically appropriate cultural orientation to 

90% of Karen Burmese arrivals. Provide linguistically appropriate cultural orientation 

makes this objective specific. 






M 

easurable. When writing objectives, quantify how much change will occur 

as a result of your project. Making objectives quantifiable means stating the 

elements of the project strategy in terms of absolute numbers and/or 

percentages that can be measured. 

Some objectives measure the amount of change over time – for example, the 

increase in your program’s job placements from one year to the next, or the increase 

in your students’ English language understanding from the beginning to the end of 

your project. If you chose to quantify the amount of your change, you will have to 

collect baseline data, and then measure the deviation from this baseline. 

To determine if your objectives are measurable, ask yourself: 

Do I use a specific number in my objective 


90% of Karen Burmese arrivals. 90% makes this objective measurable. 

A 

ttainable. Your objectives should reflect accurate costs, appropriate staff, and 

realistic timing. To ensure that your objectives are attainable, consider the 

context in which you are working and the resources available to you. 

To determine if your objectives are attainable, ask yourself: 

Is the size of the change we want to measure feasible, given our clients’ needs, 

our existing partnerships, and other external factors 

Is the timeframe for achieving it realistic 

Can we do this work with our current resources 

Have we done this before Do we have partners who can advise and support 

us 

To ensure that your objectives are achievable, communicate with your teammates 

who are knowledgeable about finance, programs, human resources, and resource 

development to ensure that your objectives reflect accurate costs, appropriate staff, 

and realistic timing. 

R 

elevant. Objectives should directly relate to the problem you are addressing – 

in other words, to the goal that you are trying to affect. 

To determine if your objectives are relevant, ask yourself: 

Is our project based on a real need 

Is our proposed solution the most appropriate one 






T 

ime-bound. You should have deadlines for the achievement of the objective. 

Ask when will this objective be accomplished Is there a stated deadline Goals 

must have starting points, ending points and fixed durations. Putting an end point 

on your objectives gives you a clear target. Commitment to deadlines helps the 

people on your team focus their efforts on the completion of the goal on or before 

the due date. 


90% of Karen Burmese arrivals. By December 31, 2008 makes this objective timebound. 

Most projects will have one or two objectives. Having to many objectives may 

overload your staff, or make it difficult for them to get everything done. 

A note on action verbs: 

SMART objectives include action verbs. 

These are verbs that indicate a change – 

and the direction that the change will 

take. If you are already writing objectives 

and want to improve them – or if you are 

wondering what we mean by “action 

verbs,” read on. 

Tip: When you think about 

timeframes, consider 

vacations, religious holidays, 

and other priorities. If you 

divide time between several 

programs or grants, consider 

also how much time the 

people managing your 

programs will have on a 

weekly or monthly basis to 

work toward the objective. 

activate 

address 

adjust 

analyze 

apply 

arrange 

assemble 

assess 

assist 

associate 

balance 

breakdown 

build 

calculate 

categorize 

classify 

complete 

conduct 

connect 

construct 

convert 

create 

critique 

define 

determine 

develop 

differentiate 

display 

design 

evaluate 

examine 

execute 

explain 

fill 

form 

give 

group 

identify 

illustrate 

inspect 

install 

interpret 

label 

lift 

list 

listen 

locate 

make 

manage 

modify 

name 

order 

organize 

outline 

perform 

plan 

predict 

prepare 

prescribe 

produce 

prove 

purchase 

quote 

recall 

recite 

record 

reiterate 

repeat 

reply 

reproduce 

respond 

restate 

select 

serve 

solve 

tabulate 

tell 

test 

transcribe 

transfer 

troubleshoot 

use 

validate 

verify 

write 

In contrast, verbs like empower, contribute to, support, and understand are NOT 

action verbs – they cannot be measured, and should not be used in SMART 

objectives. 






Part IV: Strategies for Setting SMART Objectives 

First, describe the problem your project is attempting to address. While we often 

use requests for proposals and standing announcements to identify problems and 

design programs, we can also use community assessments to identify problems. 

Next, state your project goal – the long-term change that you expect your 

project to support. Your goal might involve changes in health behavior, 

economic empowerment, or local policy. You will not measure your goal during 

the life of your project. Some organizations – especially smaller ones that have 

only one or two programs – use their mission statement as their project goal. 

Others use case statements or other parts of their grant proposals. 

Then, write your SMART objective. For more information on writing SMART 

objectives, and program design and evaluation, read Project SOAR’s Logic 

Model Toolkit, located at www.ethniccommunities.org, or see the suggested 

resources below. 

Pop Quiz! 

Turn the objectives on the left into SMART objectives. Use the box on the right to write 

in your revised SMART objectives. (Sample answers below.) 

Before 

Help refugees acquire computer skills. 

After 

Empower refugee women to be selfsufficient. 

Document career aspirations in 

individual employment services plans 

Want to know more 

There are many resources on program design and evaluation. Here are a few: 

Innovative Network - http://www.innonet.org/ 

Register for the Point K Learning Center's free tools and resources to learn more 

about evaluation, to connect with peers, and to evaluate your own efforts. 

W.K. Kellogg Foundation - http://www.wkkf.org 

Kellogg’s toolkits outline elements for building communication, evaluation, and 

public policy programs. 




Pop Quiz! Answers 

Here are the answers to pop quiz on page 4. 



Pop Quiz! Now that you know the difference between goals, objectives and activities 

answer the following questions. (Answers at the end of this toolkit.) 

1. Improve English comprehension 1 level for 25 refugees, within 2 years of program 

enrollment 


2. Recruit 100 female refugees who are not accessing healthcare as program 

participants 


3. Refugee families have living wage jobs 


4. Increase the number of health counselors providing services to HIV positive 

refugees from 1 to 3 by November 30, 2008. 


And here are the “answers” to pop quiz on page 9. NOTE: The SMART objectives you 

created will not exactly match those below. Your answers should be Specific, 

Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. 

Before 

Help refugees acquire computer skills. 

Empower refugee women to be selfsufficient. 

Document career aspirations in 

individual employment services plans 

After 

By February 28, 2009, verify that 75% of 

refugees who participated in our 16-hour 

Microsoft Word course can format a 

professional resume. 

Increase the annual income of 100 

underemployed refugee women by 10% 

within two years of program enrollment. 

By December 20, 2009, the program 

coordinator will create individual 

employment plans for 25 refugees who 

are seeking professional recertification

SOAR SMART Objectives Toolkit - ethniccommunities.org

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