SMART Objectives
The establishment of all objectives should be created using the S.M.A.R.T. philosophy. What do we mean by S.M.A.R.T. objective? S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that is used to guide the development of measurable goals. Once a project is planned, consider on developing several goals that will enable it to be successful. A goal might be to hold a weekly project meeting with the key members of a team and a continuous programme throughout the project. The acronym SMART has several slightly different variations, which can be used to provide a more comprehensive definition of goal setting.
S stands for Specific/ Significant/ Stretching.
M stands for Measurable/ Meaningful/ Motivational.
A stands for Agreed upon/ Attainable/ Achievable/ Acceptable/ Action-Oriented.
R stands for Realistic/ Revelent/ Reasonable/ Rewarding/ Results.
T stands for Time/ Tangible/ Trackable.

Specific answers the questions "what is to be done?" "How will you know it is done?" and describes the end product of the work to be done. The description is written in such a way that anyone reading the objective will most likely interpret it the same way. To make goals specific, they must tell a team exactly what is expected, why it is important, who is involved, where it is going to happen and which attributes are important. A specific goal will usually answer the five 'W' questions: * What: What do I want to accomplish? * Why: Specific reasons, purpose or benefits of accomplishing the goal. * Who: Who is involved? * Where: Identify a location. * Which: Identify requirements and constraints.

Measurable answers the question "how will you know it meets expectations?" and defines the objective using assessable terms like quantity, quality, frequency, costs, deadlines. It refers to the extent to which something can be evaluated against some standard. A frequency measurement could be daily or weekly. An objective with a quality measurement would describe a requirement in terms of accuracy, format, within university guidelines. It stresses the need for concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. The thought behind this is that if a goal is not measurable it is not possible to know whether a team is making progress toward successful completion. Measuring progress is supposed to help a team stay on track, reach its target dates and experience the exhilaration of achievement that spurs it on to continued effort required to reach the ultimate goal. Indicators should be quantifiable. A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as: * How much? * How many? * How will I know when it is accomplished?

Achievable answers the questions "Can the person do it?" "Can the measurable objective be achieved by the person?" "Does he/she have the experience, knowledge or capability of fulfilling the expectation?" "Can it be done giving the time frame, opportunity and resources?" When you identify goals that are most important to you, you begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. You develop the attitudes, abilities, skills, and financial capacity to reach them and begin seeing the achievement of the goals. It stresses the importance of goals that are realistic and also attainable. The goals are neither out of reach nor below standard performance, since these may be considered meaningless.
An achievable goal will usually answer the question How? * How can the goal be accomplished? * How realistic is the goal based on other constraints?

Relevant answers the questions, "Should it be done?", "Why?" and "What will be the impact?" Is the objective aligned with the implementation plan? It stresses the importance of choosing goals that matter. Goals that are relevant to your boss, your team, your organization will receive that needed support. To be realistic, a goal must represent an objective toward which you are both willing and able to work. A goal can be both high and realistic; you are the only one who can decide just how high your goal should be. But be sure that every goal represents substantial progress. Relevant goals drive the team, department and organization forward. A goal that supports other goals would be considered a relevant goal. A relevant goal can answer yes to these questions: * Does this seem worthwhile? * Is this the right time? * Does this match our other efforts/needs? * Are you the right person? * Is it applicable in the current socio-economic environment?

Time-oriented answers the question, "When will it be done?" It refers to the fact that an objective has end points and check points built into it. Sometimes a task may only have an end point or due date. Sometimes that end point or due date is the actual end of the task, or sometimes the end point of one task is the start point of another. Your goal is probably realistic if you truly believe that it can be accomplished. Additional ways to know if your goal is realistic is to determine if you have accomplished anything similar in the past or ask yourself what conditions would have to exist to accomplish this goal. When your goal is tangible you have a better chance of making it specific and measurable and thus attainable. A time-bound goal will usually answer the questions: * When? * What can I do six months from now? * What can I do six weeks from now? * What can I do today?

References: Wikipedia