Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound or SMART. Well-defined objectives will guide your strategy, tactics, themes and messages.
Setting objectives allows planners to define the end state in advance. These objectives are both the mileposts you'll use to guide you to the goal and the measuring sticks you'll use to determine if your strategy, messages or tactics need adjustment.
To set manageable objectives that fulfill the goal, focus your objectives on the intended effect using SMART criteria. Explore each element to learn more.
Discover content by selecting individual tiles, or using the buttons across the top.
Elements of a SMART Objective
A SMART Example
To write a SMART objective, determine how much you want to improve an outcome by what amount and by what date. A sample campaign objective might be to:
Increase media coverage of the U.S. contributing to stability in the South China Sea by 5% over a three-month period.
In this SMART objective, each factor is represented:
- The desired result, "Increase media coverage of the U.S. contributing to stability in the South China Sea," is focused on improving a specific outcome.
- The figure, "5%," is a measurable amount.
- The goal, "Increase media coverage," is both achievable and relevant.
- The duration, "over a three-month period," states the specific time to achieve results.
This objective is effective because the stakeholders and/or publics we are trying to reach are informed by the media to change their knowledge. Once achieved, it will fulfill the communication plan objective and align with the commander's intent.
A SMART objective puts everyone in the chain of command on the same page and should map out what success looks like.