Within the planning framework we use with our products, objectives are grouped into two groups, strategic and short term. Strategic objectives are drawn from the organization Vision statement, while short term objectives should be identified from the organization Mission. All objectives share a number of common descriptive attributes, they are:

• A title, written as a short command.
• A description, setting out aim of the objective in very clearly defined terms, who initially wrote it and why, and detailing how the objective relates to Vision and Mission.
• A clearly defined target condition describing the terms by which it can be determined the objective has been achieved.
• A description of the critical success factors that will influence whether or not the objective can be achieved given current circumstances. Critical Success Factors are effectively a risk assessment mechanism.
• An action plan containing details of the processes and resources allocated to the objective in order to achieve it and details of the methods to be used to monitor how progress towards the objective is being made.
• Time based constraints by which the objective should be achieved
• A indication of the business perspective that the objective is related. It is perfectly acceptable to align an objective against balanced scorecard perspectives which has the added benefit of improving organisational coherence.

Objectives and progress towards them should be reviewed as often as required. It should be understood that one of the triggers that drives the review process should be reporting of KPI's through the supporting balanced scorecard structure.

Model Associations

Objectives should be allocated to organization elements. Delegation of objectives to organization is the means that direction towards achievement of the objective is achieved. Objectives can be shared amongst organization elements, though where possible, one business are should "own" each one. As to planning how the objective will be achieved, there are two concepts that should be considered that are mutually dependant:

• An objective must have a clearly defined aim
• The steps that need to be taken to achieve the aim are outline process specifications.

Assuming acceptance of the principles outlined above, it should be possible to expand on the process steps to include resources, KPI's, customer and supplier profiles. The combination providing a comprehensive objective description that should be capable of being properly staffed and costed.

Value To The Framework

Providing objectives are drawn from the Vision and Mission, objectives are the means by which long and short term plans, designed to support the aims and aspirations of the organisation can be written. An Objective aim provides the basis on which process design and monitoring through the medium of KPI's can take place.

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