How to Write Program Objectives

Last Updated: October 6, 2021

Writing measurable program objectives is important because it allows you to show how successful your group or course is. Keep reading for tips on how to set objectives that will help you meet your long-term goals!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Brainstorming

1
Begin by brainstorming with a group of people. Throw out questions like “What does our organization hope to accomplish?” and “Where do you see the organization in 10 years?” Let people throw out ideas at random.
- Remind everyone that no idea is too silly to share, especially when you’re brainstorming.
2
Have someone take notes, or take notes yourself. Try to take notes on a board or large piece of paper where everyone can see what’s being said and recorded.
- When everyone can see the ideas that have been compiled, people can play off each other’s ideas and speak up again if their idea is missed.
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3
Home in on what’s important. Circle the most important ideas on the board, as suggested by the group. These will be ideas you will use to create your objectives. The number of objectives you choose is up to you.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Writing the Objectives

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Focus on one important idea at a time. Maybe one of your group’s ideas is to help kids read. Write that at the top of the board as one of the main objectives and get the group to discuss how to make that into a more formal objective.
2
Make objectives measurable. Instead of writing “Help kids read,” a measurable objective could be “Help 200 kids read at a first-grade level in 1 year.” In other words, you want something that can be measured in an objective way.
- In this case, you can measure how many kids learned to read, a countable number, as well as the specific level they are reading at.
3
Consider your grant requirements. If you have grant money or are accountable to a city, state, or federal government, make sure your objectives include their specific requirements, as well. For instance, the government may require that a certain number of kids learn how to read within the year.
- If that number is already established, you can use it as your objective, though you can also set a goal higher than that if your organization is ambitious.
4
Try to be realistic. Estimate how many kids you think you can help, but don’t overreach. Think about your resources and what you’ll actually be able to do with what you have.
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Talk about how you are going to measure these objectives. That is, how are you going to measure “reading at a first-grade level”? Who’s going to keep track of how many kids you helped?
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Write a sufficient number of objectives. The number of objectives depends on the size and scope of your organization.
- For instance, in a very large organization with many branches, you could have 10 objectives for each department.
- In a small organization, maybe you’ll only have 3 to 5.