SOAR SMART Objectives Toolkit - ethniccommunities.org

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Project Strengthening Organizations Assisting Refugees (Project SOAR) Guide to Writing SMART Objectives, Page 8 of 10 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. By December 31, 2008, provide linguistically appropriate cultural orientation to 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. 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.
Project Strengthening Organizations Assisting Refugees (Project SOAR) Guide to Writing SMART Objectives, Page 9 of 10 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. 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.
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