Defining Project Goals and Objectives

Defining Project Goals and Objectives

~ By Rhonda Goetz

The
very first step in all projects: business, home, or education, is to
define goals and objectives. This step defines the projects outcome and
the steps required to achieve that outcome. People, including project
managers, do not spend sufficient time on this step or complete it
incorrectly thereby ensuring an unsuccessful project completion.

Poorly
defined goals and objectives, or goals without objectives, pushes a
project into overruns, territory battles, personality clashes, missed
milestones, and unhappy clients.

Goals and objectives must be
clear statements of purpose. Each with its own purpose that drives the
end result of the project. Goals and objectives MUST be measurable.

Goals are the "WHAT"

Goals
are broad statements applied to a project. Goals are the "what" of the
process. In other words, "what" will the project accomplish? Projects
may have more than one goal, but many objectives per goal. Do not
confuse goals with objectives.

Examples:

1. Website development goal: Visitors will be convinced that global warming exists
2. Insurance company: The Medical Insurance department will increase provider options by 10%
3. Physicians office: Patients will not wait longer than 1 hour to see a physician

Objectives are the "HOW"

Objectives
are specific statements that support the goal. Every goal will have one
or more objectives tied to it. In essence, the objective is the "how"
of the process.

Always start an objective with an action verb.
This ensures that the objective is measurable and that the projects
end-result is addressed through the action of the objective. Each
objective becomes a measurable milestone as well.

Examples:

1. Goal: Visitors will be convinced that global warming exists.

• Create a table comparing the costs of addressing global warming today verses 100 years from now
• Illustrate the effects of global warming in a photo gallery
• Identify and address the "myths" of global warming

2. Goal: The Medical Insurance department will increase provider options by 10%.

• Identify provider options and costs
• Survey the customer to find out each options value
• Compare options to competitors

3. Goal: Patients will wait less than 1 hour to see a physician.

• Evaluate personnel requirements
• Purchase new appointment scheduling software
• Setup appointment confirmation schedule

Keeping
goals and objectives in the forefront of every project ensures that the
project and the team are on the same page throughout the projects life
cycle.

Whether in education, business or are running a household,
clearly defined goals and objectives will support the projects
successful result.