8.1.5  Setting goals and objectives

Once you have identified problems with feasible solutions and ranked your priorities, then you must set clear objectives (or targets) for each problem in your priority list in order to make progress towards your overall goal. In this case, the goal is to increase the immunization coverage rate in your community. The objectives for delivering your goal must be specific and measurable, and state exactly what you want to achieve, where the activities will take place, which target group will be addressed and when the target should be achieved. For example, some possible objectives of an improved immunization programme might be:

• To reach 95% coverage of all eligible children in the catchment area with the third dose of pentavalent vaccine (Penta3) by the end of the year.
• To conduct immunization sessions at the Health Post twice every week for 48 weeks of the year.
• To update the registration of newborns in your catchment area once a month for the whole year.

Figure 8.4  Immunizing all women of childbearing age with more than two doses of TT vaccine protects them and their babies. (Photo: Basiro Davey)

Notice that in all the examples above, a timescale is given for achieving the objective, and the outcome (success or failure to meet the objective) can easily be measured if accurate records are kept. Record keeping is covered in Study Session 10.