Defining Goals, Objectives, and Activities

The first step in creating good performance measures is to clearly define the program's goal, objectives, and activities. A GOAL is a broad statement of what the program hopes to accomplish or what changes it expects to produce. An OBJECTIVE is a specific and measurable condition that must be attained in order to accomplish a particular program goal. An ACTIVITY is a service or function carried out by the program (i.e., what the program does) that contributes to achieving a specific objective. The lack of clearly defined program goals, objectives, and/or activities makes it difficult to create appropriate performance measures, and therefore, properly assess a program's performance. For example, consider the following examples of goals, objectives, and activities of a program designed to reduce substance abuse among adolescents. The first illustrates inadequately defined goals, objectives, and activities and the second illustrates clearly defined goals, objectives, and activities.

Example 1

GOAL:  Reduce substance use

OBJECTIVE:

Reduce the number of students abusing drugs

ACTIVITY:

Provide anti-drug curriculum

Example 2

GOAL:  Reduce Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug (ATOD) use among program participants

OBJECTIVES:

Increase drug-related knowledge among program participants

Improve ability to resist negative peer pressure among program participants

Increase program participants' social skills

ACTIVITIES:

Deliver a drug use prevention education curriculum to program participants

Provide life skills training designed to increase refusal and resistance skills

Institute role playing exercises which exemplify positive coping and stress management skills