Home Developing a Proposal Setting Objectives and Measuring Outcomes

Setting Objectives and Measuring Outcomes

Your proposal’s objectives will be informed by:

The funder’s priorities and goals
Your identified need
Your organisation’s mission and vision.

There are at least four types of objectives (see table below). Depending on the nature of your proposal, applications may include more than one type of objective.

Present the objectives clearly, making sure that they stand out on the page. Where possible, use numbers, bullets, or indentations to clearly denote the objectives in the text.

Types of Objectives
Objective Type	Outcome
Behavioural	A human action is anticipated
Performance	The behaviour will occur within a specific timeframe and at an expected level of proficiency
Process	How the actions were implemented is an end in itself
Product	A tangible item results

Warning: Make sure you set realistic objectives. Don't promise what you can't deliver. Failing to fulfil your objectives may hinder future funding applications.

SMART Objectives

One way of writing the objectives of your application is to use the S.M.A.R.T method.

Specific objectives should answer 6 questions:

Who - Who is involved?
What - What do you want to accomplish?
Where - Identify a location
When - Establish a timeframe
Which - Identify what activities you will undertake and the resources and materials you need
Why - Detail the reasons, purpose or benefits of the goal.

For measurable objectives you must establish criteria for measuring progress. To determine if your goal is measurable, ask:

How many?
How much?
How will I know when it is accomplished?

Attainable objectives help you prioritise your actions and activities and establish what you need to do to accomplish your goals. To determine if your goal is attainable, ask:

How can it be done?

Your objectives should be realistic. Only you can decide how high you should aim. Consider what you are both willing and able to do. Ask yourself:

What have you accomplished previously?
Why does it matter?

Timely objectives are grounded within a timeframe. Otherwise there is no urgency or priority given to your activities. They incorporate short and medium term objectives. Consider:

What conditions need to exist for the goal to be accomplished?
By when?

Tangible objectives may be the production of reports, brochures, community events, or the implementation of a new service or extension of an existing one.

When preparing your objectives, complete the Your Objectives Checklist (see Activity 6.5.1).

Measuring Outputs and Outcomes

Funders are accountable for the money they donate to organisations and increasingly request information about the organisation's operations, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Measuring outcomes is therefore an important component of service delivery and managing your funding.

Alcohol and other drug non-government organisations should proactively allocate resources into developing and maintaining output and outcome measurement processes to ensure their organisation can:

Articulate their processes for continuous quality improvement
Quantify results if they want support for ongoing programs.

When assessing your proposal, funders will expect you to outline an evaluation plan. Your evaluation plan will need to identify:

The activities undertaken
The services or products created
Your key performance indicators
How your results will be evaluated.

Answer the questions:

What did we do?
How did we do it?
What did it achieve?
What could we improve on?

Outcomes

An outcome is the end result of a program. It may be intended or unintended and can be either positive or negative. Outcomes are ways of measuring whether your program or practice has achieved its aims.

Specifying outcomes will give you opportunities to measure the success of your program. You can break down the outcomes into indicators which will also enable you to track how the program is progressing.

For alcohol and other drug agencies, outcomes may include both changes in consumer health as well as improvements in staff knowledge and service quality.

An outcome statement should be specific, focused, easily interpreted, and:

Identify the intended result(s) of the agency, with the level of achievement against the intended result(s) being measured
Specify the target group(s) of the program/service
Specify the activities undertaken by the agency that contribute to the achievement of the intended result(s).

Focus on the positive outcomes your proposal will achieve and identify what improvement looks like. Such outcomes may include:

How your proposal may strengthen the community
Increased collaboration between community services sectors
Improved access to and quality of services
Improvements in client health, housing and other experiences.

Features of Good Proposals

A good proposal will demonstrate to funders that you:

Know your community
Collaborate with others to accomplish the best results for your community and consumers
Are knowledgeable about the best methods to employ and/or innovative in your approach
Have identified objectives and outcomes and are committed to achieving them (see table below).

Measuring Good Proposals
Features of Good Proposals	Evaluation Criteria
Know your community Identify your targeted need using information obtained from local sources, literature reviews, and government policies Demonstrate your proposal's objectives address the need and align with your funder's priorities	WHY?
Work together - who can help? Outline which organisations and community members will be involved in the planning, development and implementation of your proposal Demonstrate your proposal involves a broad range of stakeholders and will contribute to increased cooperation between services Demonstrate how the input of volunteers strengthens your proposal Outline how your proposal will enhance the wellbeing of community members and incorporate strategies for involving disadvantaged and marginalised populations in the design and management of your proposal	WHO?
Try new things - is everyone involved? Demonstrate what you have provided before and what new services and/or processes you will be employing to maximise impact Provide information which details the success and/or gaps in current services provided Emphasise how your approach is different and why it is needed	HOW?
Will it make a lasting difference? Explain how your proposal will provide a lasting positive impact for the wider community beyond the direct funding period Detail how you will monitor progress and assess impact	WHAT WILL IT ACHIEVE?

References & Resources

Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare Website:Innovative Practice Toolkit
Department of Human Services, Victoria.Evaluation for community organisations web resource. Downloaded from http://www.dhs.vic.gov.au/for-business-and-community/not-for-profit-organisations/evaluation-for-community-organisations
DocStoc Website
Flinders University Planning and Evaluation Wizard (PEW) developed by the SA Community Health Research Unit (SACHRU) includes a number of evaluation tips and tools primarily for health promotion and primary health care activities
Free Management Library Website: Basic Guide to Outcomes-Based Evaluation for Nonprofit Organizations with Very Limited Resources
Marsh, A., Dale, A., & Willis, L. (2007). Evidence Based Practice Indicators for Alcohol and Other Drug Interventions: Literature Review. Western Australia Drug and Alcohol Office
Newell, S., Graham, A. & Cashmore, J. (2008). Evaluating community-based programs: challenges and lessons from the front-line.Presentation at the AIFS Conference, Melbourne, July
NSW Department of Families and Community Services. (2012). Measuring Outcomes in Community Care. Downloaded from http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0005/241664/51_Measuring_outcomes_in_community_care_report.pdf
Simpson, M., Lawrinson, P., Copeland, J. & Gates, P. (2007). The Australian Alcohol Treatment Outcome Measure (AATOM-C): Psychometric properties. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales
Teesson, M., Clement, N., Copeland, J., Conroy, A., & Reid, A. (2000). The measurement of outcome in alcohol and other drug treatment: A review of available instruments. National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales
The Community Toolbox Website: Logic models
The PerformWell Website

The cartoon image was sourced from http://www.govint.org/our-services/outcomes/.

Activities

Complete the activities below by entering text into the fields provided and/or completing the attached documents. If you download and complete an attached document, you will have to save this to your personal file.

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Activity 6.5.1 Your Objectives Checklist

When preparing your objectives, answer the questions below.

6.5.1.pdf (119 KB)

Have you stated your objectives in quantifiable terms?

Can your objectives measure outcomes, not processes?

Do your objectives specify the result of an activity?

Have you identified the long term objective/s for your proposal?

Do your objectives identify the target audience or community being served?

Are your objectives realistic and capable of being accomplished within the specified timeframe?

Do your aims and objectives link directly to your need statement?

Have you identified the objectives of each program area (the program areas are the building blocks that make up the overall program)?

Have you identified the activity(ies) of each program area?

Are your objectives inclusive of all relevant groups and individuals in your target population group?

Have you allowed plenty of time to accomplish the objectives?

Have you determined how you will measure the change projected in each objective? If an objective cannot be measured, it needs to be changed.

Have you determined how you will know when the objectives are met (performance indicators)?

Have you budgeted for the evaluation (measurement) of your objectives?

Activity 6.5.2 Complete the Objectives Worksheet

Complete the questions below to outline the objectives of your proposal and its activities.

These questions have been adapted from the DocStoc website: http://www.docstoc.com/. This website contains a range of resources which may be useful for developing your organisation.

6.5.2.pdf (122 KB)

Specific Objective: What do you want to achieve?

Strategy: How do you intend to achieve it?

Performance Outcome: How can achievement be measured or confirmed?

More info Timeline: When do you expect to achieve the outcome?

May include short-, medium-, and long-term objectives. Include estimated dates if possible.

Activity 6.5.3 Develop a Logic Model

Logic models present a picture of how your proposal is supposed to work. They quickly explain to the funder:

1. Why your strategy is a good response to the identified need

2. What activities you will implement

3. The results you expect to see.

An example of a logic model is attached. Use this as a guide to develop your own. For more information about logic models, visit The Community Toolbox website: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/overview/models-for-community-health-and-development/logic-model-development/main

6.5.3.pdf (158 KB)

Activity 6.5.4 Identify Short-, Medium-, and Long-Term Outcomes

Outcomes often evolve as you develop your evaluation plan. Follow the steps below to identify the outcomes you want to achieve on the way to meeting your objectives.

Make sure your outcomes are meaningful as this helps keep people motivated and allows them to focus on the destination rather than just how to get there.

6.5.4.pdf (133 KB)

More info Step 1: Create a detailed summary statement outlining all the outcomes you would like to achieve

Link your outcomes to the original aims of the project or practice.

Include all the changes you would like to see as a result of the intervention.

Record what has been observed that indicates an outcome has progressed. To help ensure a process of monitoring and evaluation does occur, incorporate these processes into your logic model.

More info Step 2a: Identify short term outcomes: What knowledge, skills, and activities would you expect to see develop in your organisation and target group in 0-6 months?

Link short-term, with intermediate and long-term outcomes. Link the short, medium, and long term outcomes by asking what short term outcomes need to occur for the intermediate outcomes to occur, and what intermediate outcomes need to occur for the long term outcomes to occur.

Step 2b: Identify medium term outcomes: What behaviours would you expect to see change in your target group in 3-9 months?

Step 2c: Identify long term outcomes: What values would you expect to see change in 6-12 months?

More info Step 3: Pursue SMART and meaningful outcomes

Ensure the outcomes you have identified are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. Discuss your expectations with your team to make sure they understand and share your expectations.

Have you discussed your expectations with your team?

More info Do they think the identified outcomes are SMART?

If your team do not share your expectations or think the outcomes are SMART, you may want to revisit them.

More info Step 4: Have your outcomes reviewed by others: Have you checked with your team and clearly worked through with them the processes involved in measuring your outcomes?

It is essential to check with your team to confirm they will measure what you want them to measure.

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