SMARTER Targets - A note on improving the SMART targets methodology.

The SMART methodology is often used to ensure that targets are set which are  measurable and attainable. However,  SMART does not address  whether project outcomes are worth attaining or relevant to an organisation's mission.

This short note suggests  adopting a SMARTER approach.

SMART is usually presented as being an acronym for:

S – specific
M – measurable
A - achievable
R – realistic
T – time-based

There are variants on the system:

S - specific, significant, stretching
M - measurable, meaningful, motivational
A - agreed upon, attainable, achievable, acceptable, action-oriented
R - realistic, relevant, reasonable, rewarding, results-oriented
T - time-based, timely, tangible, trackable¹

Clearly, the success of the SMART methodology is in the acronym which is both easy to remember and relevant to the targets – outcomes thus defined are indeed smart.

However, the SMART system, leaves out 2 major vital components that are not addressed. The first are ethical issues. A project outcome can be SMART while at the same time being entirely to the detriment of an organisation, against its ethos or at the extreme against humanity. Tony Soprano and Osama Bin Laden could both equally have  used SMART targets to improve the operation of their particular organisations. A less extreme example would be a museum creating a project which lead to an unacceptable increase in use of energy resources. Or an aggressive advertising campaign designed to increase revenue which damages the reputation of an organisation's reputation. These projects might be entirely negative in their effects and yet still fulfil the SMART criteria.

The second is relevance – a project can be SMART but be entirely irrelevant to the success of an organisation. SMART addresses whether the objectives can be measured it does not encourage analysis of what benefits to the organisation the outcome delivers. Nor does it encourage analysis of where the outcome fits as a priority. So, one way of focussing on the needs of the organisation is to add an extra R which will stand for Relevance. Is a project relevant to the Mission statement, it is relevant to a modern multicultural society?

In the proposed amended scheme it is also suggested that A stands for Agreed not for achievable. Achievable can be dropped because it is duplicated by R for 'realistic'. A for Agreed has the benefit that it focusses on the need to make sure that targets have the active support of participating parties.



SMART targets thus become SMARTER :



S – specific
M – measurable
A - agreed
R – realistic
T – time-based
E – ethical
R – relevant

Kevin Flude
Director the Old Operating Theatre Museum and lecturer at Central St Martins College (the University of the Arts. London)

This is a slightly revised version on a short note originally published in: GEM (Group for Education) News No 107, Winter 2007

1http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.html