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For Local Public Health Assessment and Planning

Writing Good Goals and SMART Objectives

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….

Measurable

Quantitative

Priority

Targeted

Intermediate

Core

Qualitative

Programmatic

Performance

Strategic

Outcome

Benchmark

Indicator

Result

Goal

Measure

Target

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

Modifiers:

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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

Objective: How you’re

going to get there

Goal: What you

aspire to achieve

Objective: How you’re

going to get there

Objective: How you’re

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

Objective: How you’re

going to get there

Goal: What you

aspire to achieve

Objective: How you’re

going to get there

Objective: How you’re

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

Who/what?SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

TIME BOUND

Measure

How?

Why?

When?

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SMART Objectives

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

TIME BOUND

Goal: All Awesome County staff will have an

understanding of Quality Improvement concepts and

practices, including the use of data to drive decisions.

Objective to revise:

Staff will be trained in QI.

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)

MeasurableMeasure–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

Who/what?SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

TIME BOUND

Measure

How?

Why?

When?

Goal:

Awesome County children and

adolescents will have increased access to

healthy foods and increased

opportunities for physical activity.

Original Objective:

Reduce obesity rates for children and

adolescents.

SMART Objectives

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

TIME BOUND

Original Objective: Reduce obesity rates for children

and adolescents.

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

reduce the percent of 9th graders in Awesome County

who are obese from 8% baseline to 7%.

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SMART(er) Objectives

� Goal: Increase the number of places with tobacco-

free grounds policies

� Original objective: Meet with colleges to inform

them about tobacco-free grounds

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

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

Goal: Strengthen organizational capacity to meet

public health responsibilities

Original objective: Use technology to increase

department communications.

SPECIFIC

MEASURABLE

ACHIEVABLE

RELEVANT

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: sarah.small@state.mn.us