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I am really enjoying the opportunity to answer some great questions through the
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. Here’s a recent reader question:
Q: The RFP wants to make sure my plan has “measurable goals.” Can you tell me what they want me to measure?
I plan to expand on this topic in the near future. However, “who will what, how much, by when” is a good, basic format to work from when creating measurable goals. I’ll explain:
-Who will benefit? Make sure to clearly identify the population(s) that will be affected by the project. Since I work with many schools, I’ll develop an example around a professional development project for teachers.
In a program that will train teachers in hands-on instructional teaching strategies, your “who” would be: a) One hundred (100) students in grades 3-6 scoring at or below basic in their math standardized test scores, and b) Thirty (30) participating teachers teaching grades 3-6.
-What will change? You need to indicate the expected change or progress that your project will create (otherwise, why would the funder give you money in the first place?) Continuing from the above example, the “what” is that: a) the students’ math standardized test scores will increase, and b) the teachers will gain increased knowledge of instructional strategies.
-How (much) will it change? It is important here to indicate a measurement of change for the “what.” It isn’t enough to say that things will get better; you have to detail by how much they will improve. For our example, a) students’ math standardized test scores will increase by 10%, and b) teachers’ instructional skills will increase by 10% as measured by an evaluator-developed assessment meant to measure pedagogical progress.
-And finally, by when? It strengthens the funder’s confidence when you hold yourself accountable to a time frame. Indicate when you will reach the expected change. Make sure the time you indicate will be some time before the end of the grant period. For our running example, I’ll give a specific date, like May 2012 for both a and b.
So, that should give us two measurable goals that look like this:
a) One hundred (100) students in grades 3-6 scoring below basic on the math standardized test will increase their score on this test by 10% by May 2012, and
b) Thirty (30) participating teachers will improve their instructional strategy knowledge by 10%, as measured by an evaluator-developed assessment, by May 2012.
As a side note, but still important, make sure that everything you put down is attainable and relevant to the project. While you might meet other organizational goals by May 2012, or involve the same populations in other projects, only provide realistic, measureable goals relevant to the funder and your project.
It’s best to keep your measurable goals clear and brief, but make sure not to leave out those four crucial points: who, what, how much, and by when.
Have a question you’d like to ask via the Novice Grant Writer? Submit it
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