1/22/2016

Writing Good Goals and SMART

Objectives
For Local Public Health Assessment and Planning

Public Health Practice Section, Health Partnerships Division

Welcome

Sarah Small, MPH

Principal Planner, Public Health Practice Section,
Health Partnerships Division
Minnesota Department of Health

Agenda

Logistics/Housekeeping

Why the focus on Goals and Objectives?

The benefits of Good Goals and SMART Objectives

Good Goals and SMART objectives – definitions and
examples

Resources for further learning

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Logistics and Housekeeping

Your line should be automatically muted by our system.
Please do not use HOLD!

Have your handout ready – you’ll want to refer to it.

Please use the chat box if you have questions during
the presentation. We will take verbal questions at the
end of the session.

This session will be recorded and posted on the MDH
Public Health Practice training web page.

WebEx Features
On this call we will be using the following WebEx
features:

Chat

Poll

Learning Objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Identify the criteria for good goals and SMART
objectives

Understand the importance and relevance of writing
good goals and SMART objectives

Independently write good goals and SMART objectives

Understand how goals and objectives fit into
performance management

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http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/opi/cd/training/events/

Why focus on Goals and Objectives?

LPH submitted Community Health Improvement Plans
(CHIP), Strategic Plans and Quality Improvement (QI)
Plans in 2015

Public Health Practice

Performance Management

2016 Performance Related Accountability Measure:
monitoring the CHIP

Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards

The Language Trap

Many sources use varying terms for similar ideas….
Modifiers:
Indicator
Outcome Measurable Core
Quantitative Qualitative
Priority Programmatic
Result
Targeted Performance
Benchmark
Intermediate Strategic

Goal
Measure

Target
Source: Mark Friedman, Fiscal Policy Studies Institute. RBA Powerpoint Version 1.8 May 6, 2008. Results Accountability.com

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Terminology

Goal – Aspirational statement about what you want to
achieve. Provides a framework for objectives and
strategies.

Objective – Describes how to meet your goal using
SMART criteria.

Measure – The number, percent or some standard unit
used to illustrate success or impact over time.

Target - The desired level of performance you want to
see that represents success.

Benefits of Good Goals and SMART

Objectives

Concept can be used in any plan – Strategic Plan, QI
Plan, CHIP, program plan, etc.

Provide structure

Monitor success and achievement

Identify program improvements

Benefits of Good Goals and SMART

Objectives

Goals

Minnesota’s Public Health System

Performance Management Model

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Goals and Objectives

Goal: What you

aspire to achieve

Objective: How you’re Objective: How you’re Objective: How you’re

going to get there going to get there going to get there

Criteria for Good Goals

Broad, future-oriented statement that describes
expected effect

Establish direction

Define scope

Framework for objectives

Good Goals Checklist

 Concise
 Jargon free
 Framework for objectives
 Specifies an expected effect
 Easily understood
 Declarative statement

Adapted from: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/evaluation/pdf/brief3.pdf

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Goal Examples
How can we improve this goal?

Build a QI culture.

Goal Examples
Original Goal– Build a QI culture

Improved Goal– All staff at Awesome County will

have an understanding of Quality Improvement concepts
and practices, including the use of data to make
decisions.

Goal Examples
How can we improve this goal?

Decrease the number of colleges, government

buildings, public housing buildings, rental units, fairs
and community events that have not formally
adopted a tobacco-free grounds policy based on the
best-practice legal language recommended by the
Public Health Law Center.

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Goal Examples
Original Goal: Decrease the number of colleges, government buildings,
public housing buildings, rental units, fairs and community events that
have not formally adopted a tobacco-free grounds policy based on the
best-practice legal language recommended by the Public Health Law
Center

Improved Goal: Increase the number of places with

tobacco-free grounds policies

Goal Examples
How can we improve this goal?

Build and develop staff and organizational knowledge,

skills, and ability in the six areas of Public Health
Responsibility within the LPH Act and the eight
domains of the Public Health Core Competencies
Assessment.

Goal Examples
Improved Goal: Strengthen organizational capacity to
meet public health responsibilities

Build knowledge in the LPH Act areas of responsibility

and the domains of the Core Competencies Assessment

Management will create and implement one workforce

development plan for staff incorporating the Public
Health Core Competencies December, 2016.

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Moving from Goals to Objectives

Goal: What you

aspire to achieve

Objective: How you’re Objective: How you’re Objective: How you’re

going to get there going to get there going to get there

SMART Objectives
Provides the details on how to meet your goal using
SMART criteria

Include all components of SMART objectives

Relate to a single result

Are clearly written

SMART Objectives
SPECIFIC Who/what?

MEASURABLE Measure

ACHIEVABLE How?

RELEVANT Why?

TIME BOUND When?

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SMART Objectives
SPECIFIC
Goal: All Awesome County staff will have an
MEASURABLE
understanding of Quality Improvement concepts and
practices, including the use of data to drive decisions.
ACHIEVABLE
Objective to revise:
RELEVANT
Staff will be trained in QI.

TIME BOUND

Specific
Consider…
What

What exactly will you do?

What is the action?

What are you intending to impact?
Who:

Who is responsible for carrying out the action?

Who are you intending to impact or who is your target
population?

Specific
Original Objective: Staff will be trained in QI.

Let’s clarify WHO and WHAT:

SMARTer Objective: Awesome County

management will offer Quality Improvement
training opportunities to staff

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Measurable
Measure– how you’ll show success or impact over time

The number, percent or some standard unit to express how

you are doing at achieving the standard, goal or result.

Target: The desired level of performance you want to see that

represents success.

Measurable
Measure– shows success or impact over time
The number, percent or some standard unit to express how you are doing at
achieving the standard, goal or result.

Example Measure: % of rental properties with tobacco-free policies in

Awesome County.

Target: The desired level of performance you want to see that represents
success.
Example Target: 50% (informed by x data source)

Measurable
Measure–shows success or impact over time

Original Objective: Staff will be trained in QI.

SMARTer Objective: Awesome

County management will offer
Quality Improvement training opportunities resulting in
75% of staff completing Quality Improvement 101.

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Measurable… and Meaningful!

Measure– shows success or impact over time

Be ready to answer:

…So, what?

Who cares?

What action can you take with the information?
Make sure what you’re measuring is meaningful to your stakeholders.

Time-Bound
Time Frame:

When will this objective be achieved?

Is this time frame realistic?

Should it be closer or further in the future?

Original Objective: Staff will be trained in QI.

SMARTer Objective: Awesome County management will offer

Quality Improvement training opportunities resulting in
75% of staff completing Quality Improvement 101 by
December 31, 2019.

Achievable/Attainable
HOW:

Can this be accomplished?

Will our available resources will help us? What limits/constraints are in our
way?

Original Objective: Staff will be trained in QI.

SMARTer Objective: Awesome County management will
offer Quality Improvement training opportunities
resulting in 75% of staff completing Quality
Improvement 101 by December 31, 2019.

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Relevant
Why:

Will this objective lead to achieving the related goal?

Is it worthwhile and reasonable to measure this objective?

Original Objective: Staff will be trained in QI.

SMARTer Objective: Awesome

County management will
offer Quality Improvement training opportunities
resulting in 75% of staff completing Quality
Improvement 101 by December 31, 2019.

SMART Objectives
SPECIFIC Who/what?
Goal:
MEASURABLE Measure
Awesome County children and
ACHIEVABLE
adolescents will have increased access to
How? healthy foods and increased
RELEVANT Why? opportunities for physical activity.

Original Objective:
TIME BOUND When?
Reduce obesity rates for children and
adolescents.

SMART Objectives
SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE Original Objective: Reduce obesity rates for children

and adolescents.
ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT SMART(er) Objective: By December 31, 2019,

reduce the percent of 9th graders in Awesome County
TIME BOUND who are obese from 8% baseline to 7%.

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SMART(er) Objectives
SPECIFIC

Goal: Increase the number of places with tobacco-
MEASURABLE free grounds policies

ACHIEVABLE

Original objective: Meet with colleges to inform
RELEVANT them about tobacco-free grounds

TIME BOUND

SMART(er) Objectives
SMART(er) Objective: Public Health Staff will meet with key
stakeholders at all colleges in our jurisdiction resulting in 3
out of 4 colleges committing to work on tobacco free
grounds policies by June 2016.

By December 2019, public health staff will meet with

colleges to inform them about tobacco-free grounds.

Meet with colleges about tobacco-free grounds policies by

December, 2016.

SMART(er) Objectives
SPECIFIC
Goal: Strengthen organizational capacity to meet
MEASURABLE public health responsibilities

ACHIEVABLE
Original objective: Use technology to increase
RELEVANT department communications.

TIME BOUND

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SMART(er) Objectives
SMART(er) Objective: Communications and IT staff will pilot and
evaluate two new communication technologies targeted to external
customers resulting in a 25% increase in traffic to the Community
Family Health webpage by December, 2016.

By December 2016, we will pilot communication technologies

targeted to external customers.

Communications technologies will result in an 25% increase in traffic

to the Community Family Health webpage by December 2016.

Questions?

If you brought a goal or objective to discuss with
the group, please paste it into the chat box.

References and Resources

MDH QI Toolbox - SMART objectives

MDH Webinar – Monitoring and Revising your CHIP

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
SMART Objective Editor

CDC Evaluation TA Brief – Goals and Objectives

CHIP Collaborative Handbook from the Kansas Health
Institute

Developing Goals, Objectives and Performance Indicators
for Community Health Improvement Plans (NACCHO)

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Thank you!
Sarah Small, MPH
Principal Planner, Public Health Practice Section,
Health Partnerships Division
Minnesota Department of Health
Phone: 651.201.3864
Email: [email protected]

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