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Designing an AFI Project: Goals/Objectives |
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PDF Version (661KB)Once you've researched and analyzed needs in your community, step back and ask: If we start an AFI Project, what do we hope to accomplish? You can put those thoughts into action when you map out your AFI Project-in the form of goals and objectives.
Throughout this process, keep in mind that you may have only "rough draft" thoughts at this stage. That's okay. As you get further into the details of designing your AFI Project, you will see the issues and options more clearly. You may even change your goals and objectives at the very end (when you put your budget together, for example). That's because the additional thinking and planning-and realities of doing this work-affect your project plan.
The goals of your project are broad and visionary ideas about what you want to accomplish. You should develop one or two goals for your project. Consider the following questions as you think about goals-and keep the AFI goals in mind as you craft your own:
- What are the goals of the Assets for Independence Program?
- What is your agency's mission?
- Based on your assessment of your Project's target population, what needs in the community could your Project address?
Once you have identified one or two goals, you can determine how you will go about achieving them. In other words, take your vision (goals) and get more specific on how you will address them (objectives). Objectives are specific, measurable, and time-oriented target statements that describe the goal(s) of your AFI Project. Consider the following when putting objectives together:
- How will the activities you conduct (e.g., provide financial literacy training, open IDAs) affect your target population?
- Will there be variations in effects over the course of the project?
- What are some ways you can measure these changes in your clients?
- Are your objectives linked to your goal(s)?
(Your workplan, discussed below, is how you will implement these objectives, but more on that later.)
Tip: When you write your AFI application for funding, you will need to outline the "results or benefits" you expect of your Project. You will want to describe these as measurable and specific items, with short- and long-term time frames. In evaluation language, these measures are called outputs and outcomes. The purpose of identifying these measures is to keep projects focused on performance and results so that government resources are used wisely. Learn more about these types of measures in the Evaluation section of the guidebook.