Project goals
Here you will learn how to define a concrete project goal.
Most likely, the goal of your project is to work on or even solve an existing problem.
But have you ever asked yourself what you want to achieve in concrete terms and who exactly you want to address with it?
The following method will help you to formulate the project goal even more concretely.
Method: SMART GOALS
What do you need for that?
- One sheet of paper
- A pen
- A project idea
How many people are needed for this method?
- The whole team (recommended)
- Can also be implemented alone
How does it work?
- Define the goal for your project based on your project idea. If your idea starts from a specific problem, the solution of the problem as a goal definition is already obvious. (see the input Finding project idea)
→ e.g. the problem Too few bike racks on campus becomes the goal Sufficient bike racks on campus
- Additionally, work the following points into your formulation and let your project goal become SMART
S – specific M – measurable A – attractive R – realistic T – terminable - Then, formulate your project goal within a short three- to four-line text and include the new adjectives. Ready!
How to make your goal SMART – an example:
S – specific in place, time and size: a sustainable food campaign becomes a campus lunch talk for 1 1/2 h about vegan nutrition with 50 people.
M – measurable: A vegan lunchtalk turns into a Lunchtalk with input on healthy vegan eating and a tasting of min. 3 vegan dishes.
A – attractive: Participation in the Lunchtalk does not cost 30 €, but 10 €.
R – realistic: From the goal that the Lunchtalk completely convinces all participants and they leave the event exclusively as vegans, the goal becomes that the participants leave the Lunchtalk interested in the topic and with new knowledge.
T – terminable: a realistic time is set for the lunchtalk. The time should not be too far but also not too close in the future, i.e. neither in five years nor already in one month.