All individual projects and community initiatives should have three things in common. They should provide value for locals, they should be in line with community brand principles, and they should be S.M.A.R.T. goals.
This super simple checklist created by CivicBrand will help you think through and ensure how each of your projects check all of the boxes.
S.M.A.R.T. goals help you ensure that your goals and initiatives are effective, well thought out, and give you a great chance to be successful in implementing them.
Specific – Don’t just make broad goals. A smart goal is specific. Take the time to define exactly what you are looking to accomplish.
Measurable – Almost all worthwhile goals and be measured in some way. Think through how you will measure the effectiveness of this goal.
Achievable – It’s great to dream, but your goals needs to be attainable. Do you have the resources, authority and assets needed?
Relevant – With limited resources it’s important to make sure that your initiatives are relevant and that you’re not just doing them to do them. Are they part of a great initiative or does it lead toward the vision for your community?
Time-Bound – You need to define when the goal will be implemented, completed or achieved by. Open-ended goals are rarely successful because they have no timeline to hold you accountable.