SMART Objective Review

SMART Objective Review

Ashley Suker PUBH 381

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SMART Goals and Objectives

Messy Room Scenario

Review SMART Objectives

Choose Your Own SMART Adventure Practice

Messy Room Scenario

Let's pretend that you just asked your 11-year old son to clean his bedroom.

After begging, pleading, and bargaining, he reluctantly agrees to comply.

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Messy Room Scenario

You come back to find the room CLEANER, but not exactly clean.

You can't figure out what went wrong. You thought you were clear that the room needed to be clean.

Before

After

What went wrong?

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So what went wrong? Why didn't the room cleaning meet your expectations?

Choose the BEST option from the list below.

Cleaning is not fun, your expectations for cleanliness are too high

Your instructions were unclear, and as a result you and your son have different definitions of clean

I prefer not answer

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Cleaning is not fun, your expectations for cleanliness are too high

While this may be true, this is not why the room was not cleaned correctly.

CLICK to TRY AGAIN

I prefer not to answer

So sorry, that is incorrect.

CLICK to TRY AGAIN

Your instructions were unclear, and as a result, you and your son have different definitions of clean

CORRECT! You told your son to "clean his room", but didn't list any specific items to clean up, give a timeline for completion, or explain how you planned to measure "clean". Your son thought he followed your instructions.

Ok, but I need the room to be cleaned to my standards.

CLICK HERE to find out how to get your son to clean his room.

Unfortunately, your original instructions were vague. You need to be very specific about 1) the steps required to clean a room, 2)how you measure "clean", and 3) a timeline for completion.

Your instructions need to be

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Timebound

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Let's Try Again

Instead of saying

CLEAN YOUR ROOM!

Try this

Instead of begging and telling your son to "clean his room"

CLICK HERE

You come prepared with a list of tasks, an explanation of how you will measure clean, and a clear deadline

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Provide a List!

To clean your room, please complete the following steps:

1. Pick up all clothes from the floor
2. Put all dirty clothe s in the dirty laundry hamper
3. Put all clean clothes in the correct drawer
4. Pick up all books and put them on the correct bookshelf
5. Sort toys by category (legos, stuffed animals, trucks, planes, dolls, etc.)
6. Place sorted toys in the correctly labeled bins and return the filled bins to the shelf
7. Pick up and put all trash in the trashcan
8. Pick up all bedding and pillows and put on the bed
9. Make the bed (blankets tucked in, sheets smoothed, pillows arranged)
10. Put desk items in the correct drawers, throw all desk trash in trashcan
11. Vacuum cleaned floor

All items must be complete by noon today

If you come back and the room is not clean, it's not because your son didn't know what to do.

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Ok, but how does this relate to writing SMART objectives?

SMART objectives are like the list of steps you gave your son.

Using SMART objectives keeps projects FOCUSED and ON-TIME

When SMART elements are missing, objectives can be misinterpreted and ineffective

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Let's review the SMART elements

CLICK HERE to review

Let's review

SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound.

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What does this look like in public health practice?

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Objective missing SMART elements

By 2025, communicable disease deaths will be reduced by 20%.

Some elements are included, but not enough to make this objective clear, actionable, or measurable.

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Let's take a closer look

By 2025 (more information needed)

The overall program goal is to reduce communicable disease deaths (more information needed)

Cannot be assessed with the information provided

Cannot be assessed with the information provided

Missing information on the actual interventions and target group

By 2025, communicable disease deaths will be reduced by 20%.

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Objective with ALL 5 SMART Elements

By the end of the 2026-2027 school year, the influenza mortality rate among school-aged children will be reduced by 15% compared to the 2022-2023 school year through hosting three free districtwide flu vaccine clinics per semester, ensuring at least 75% of students are vaccinated.

I know this objective is longer, but what makes it better?

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By the end of the 2026-2027 school year, the influenza mortality rate among school-aged children will be reduced by 15% compared to the 2022-2023 school year through hosting three free districtwide flu vaccine clinics per semester, ensuring at least 75% of students are vaccinated.

Reduce influenza mortality rate among school-aged children by 15% compared to 2022-2023 school year rates

3 free vaccine clinics

15% reduction compared to baseline

75% vaccination rate

Planned program utilizes exisiting resources so it appears to be achievable

15% reduction in influenza mortality among this age group is likely just 1 or 2 deaths, which is realistic

The overarching goal is to reduce communicable disease deaths, influenza is a communicable disease

The objective will be completed by the end of the 2026-2027 school year

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Ok, I think I understand, but can I practice?

Of course!

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Choose your own adventure

Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger

Reduce Child Mortality

Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women

Did you know that the topics above are part of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? Visit un.org/millenniumgoals for more information.

Goal:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Select the BEST* objective

Remember the best objectives are

By 2026, worldwide hunger will be cut in half.

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and income of female farmers in the Mathura District of India, by expanding the the collaborative relationship between the Women Farmer Empowerment Programme, the Self-Employed Women's Association, and the UN Food Programme.

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition among young children ages 0-5.

Return to practice questions

Continue to next section

incorrect.

By 2026, worldwide hunger will be cut in half.

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to reduce world hunger, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

correct.

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and income of female farmers in the Mathura District of India, by expanding the the collaborative relationship between the Women Farmer Empowerment Programme, the Self-Employed Women's Association, and the UN Food Programme.

double agricultural productivity and income for female farmers in the Mathura District of India through partnerships

agricultural producitivty and income levels of female farmers

likely possible if existing relationships are leveraged

if hunger and poverty are reduced in one area, it will contribute to the global goal

by 2030

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incorrect.

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition among young children ages 0-5.

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to reduce world hunger, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

Goal:

Reduce child mortality

Select the BEST* objective

Remember the best objectives are

By 2026, reduce the global mortality ratio.

By 2030, reduce premature mortality from malaria among children under 5 years in the Ahafo and Ashanti regions of Ghana through a 20% increase in UN funding to the existing National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP).

By 2030, reduce the number of unintentional injuries to children under 5 globally.

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incorrect.

By 2026, reduce the global mortality ratio.

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to reduce child mortaility, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

correct.

By 2030, reduce premature mortality from malaria among children under 5 years in the Ahafo and Ashanti regions of Ghana through a 20% increase in UN funding to the existing National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP).

reduce premature mortaility rate in Ahafo and Ashanti regions of Ghana

20% increase in funding (can be measured with program financial statements)

feasible with increased funding and if other resources remain constant

child mortaility rates are heavily impacted by malaria in this region, reducing malaria deaths will reduce the overall child mortality rate

by 2030

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incorrect.

By 2030, reduce the number of unintentional injuries to children under 5 globally.

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to reduce child mortaility, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal:

Select the BEST* objective

Remember the best objectives are

By 2030, increase gender equality and empower women

By 2026, establish a dedicated working group within the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop methodologies for tracking the time spent in unpaid care and domestic work among women aged 18-54 in the United States.

By 2030, improve job training for women worldwide.

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incorrect.

By 2030, increase gender equality and empower women

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to increase gender equality and empower women, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

correct.

By 2026, establish a dedicated working group within the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop methodologies for tracking the time spent in unpaid care and domestic work among women aged 18-54 in the United States.

establish working group within the CDC with the purpose of establishing data collection methodologies

success is measured by the establishment of the working group

achievement is likely given the simplicity of the objective

Establishing gender equality requires understanding all the work women perform, not just tracking paid work. This information is difficult to access now, but a working group can improve that

by 2026

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incorrect.

By 2030, improve job training for women worldwide.

This objective is not

The BEST objectives include actionable steps for achieving the goal. If your goal is to increase gender equality and empower women, what specific steps need to be taken?

CLICK TO TRY AGAIN

Thank you for reviewing SMART objectives!

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