Definition: Project objectivesdefine the “what” part of the project. The “what” must be possible, sensible, and completed within a given duration. A project objective sets the goals and provides stepping stones for a project’s success.
This article describes project objectives, provides examples, and explains how to write them.
什么是项目目标？
项目目标描述了项目的目标，并为成功设定了目标。项目目标是可衡量和可以实现的；他们推动团队保持正轨。一个项目可以具有多个目标，该项目可以在整个项目生命周期中的不同地点实现这些目标。
You should clearly state project objectives since they influence every decision during the project’s lifecycle. In addition, objectives are measurable and includekey performance indicatorslike budget, quality, schedule, etc.
The project objective is sometimes known as the objective statement.
Importance of Project Objectives
Project objectives make it possible to track progress. In addition, an effective project objective guides the team throughout theproject’s lifecycleand has buy-in from all stakeholders.
Regardless of whatproject management methodology（敏捷或瀑布）他们遵循，所有项目都有项目目标。
项目目标Vs. Project Objectives
Goals and objectives are different. However, setting goals and objectives early in the project life cycle help establish key progress indicators and act as a “road map” for a project team. Failure to do so can derail the project.
Undefined project goals and frequent changes in project objectives are common causes of project failure.
项目目标
A goal is an achievable outcome that is broad and long-term. A project can have multiple high-level goals. A goal should not be specific or vague. For example, “making investors happy to get funding” is not a worthwhile goal. Measuring satisfaction and happiness is difficult and does not serve a business goal.
Examples of acceptable project goals:
- Boost website traffic every year
- Grow sales for the next five years
- Increase product efficiency
项目目标
目标是具体的，并且具有较小的任务可以实现更广泛的目标。目标是必不可少的，但目标为引擎提供动力。
Examples of project objectives:
- Boost website traffic by 20% for three years
- 将销售额增长15％，持续五年
- Increase the process efficiency by 30% in three months
上述目标表明您需要完成的目标。它们是目标设定的智能（特定，可衡量，可实现的，相关，时间限制的）格式。
这些目标是OKR（目标和关键结果），以帮助实现目标。
项目目标and Project Objectives Tables
How to Identify Project Objectives
检查项目目标
A review of project goals gives an idea about the objectives. Goals are what a business wants to achieve through a project. Objectives are short-term steps to achieve goals. The project managers must differentiate between goals and objectives and ensure that objectives support the organization’s goal.
Consider Customer Opinions
A project manager can identify objectives by analyzing data and feedback. Also, you must include the opinions of customers, clients, and team members in the goals.
项目管理专家汤姆·摩卡尔（Tom Mochal）举例说明，企业计划将电话设置改进，以将平均呼叫者的等待时间限制为不到60秒。
This is an objective toward the goal of enhancing customer service. A project manager can identify this objective by analyzing customer surveys that disclose that a two-minute response is reasonable to wait for a call to go through the system.
如何设定智能项目目标
Objectives are “SMART” if they are specific, measurable, achievable (sometimes agreed), realistic (or relevant), and time-bound (or timely).
To set SMART project objectives, adhere to the following guidelines:
具体：清晰陈述的概述要求；不要留出误解的空间。想想五为什么（谁，为什么，什么，什么，何时和何处）。
可衡量：确保目标是可衡量的，因此组织可以监视进度并知道何时实现目标。
Achievable: Choose achievable objectives. They should be agreed upon by managers, clients, and team members to ensure everyone’s commitment.
Realistic: Set realistic objectives so the project team can believe it is achievable. It will motivate them to reach the objective.
时间限制：包括项目必须实现目标并获得团队成员协议的特定日期或持续时间。
How to Write Project Objectives?
The following steps will help write robust project objectives.
- Identify Behaviors or Conditions to be Changed
- 定义成功的含义
- 描述焦点小组
- 包括位置和时间
- Break Down the Project Objectives
#1 – Identify Behavior or Conditions to be Changed
An organization may have internal challenges or behavior of team members that can affect the project objectives. Assess past projects and identify the behaviors or conditions that need to be changed.
Identifying these issues helps project managers prioritize the project objectives. This creates a foundation to build robust and SMART project objectives.
＃2 - 定义成功的含义
管理层应定义项目的目的及其目标，并解释如何定义成功，以便团队了解成功的外观。它提供指导并激励他们实现项目目标。
To define a project’s “success,” it is essential to write down the possible outputs and challenges using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis.
#3 – Describe the Focus Group
Describe the focus group for the project. For example, a focus may be collecting leads, websites, systems, customer surveys, turnover, sales, profitability, etc.
The focus can differ for each objective; therefore, describe the focus in detail to provide the right direction.
For example, suppose a company wants to focus on profitability, minimize plastic waste, and become more eco-friendly. However, these changes will increase manufacturing costs and reduce profitability. Therefore, this problem calls for rethinking that particular project objective.
#4 – Include the Location and Time
提及实现目标和位置的时间表，例如地区或国家。时间暗示了一个客观的成就日期，例如第三季度，每年等。
#5 – Break Down the Objectives
The organization has a lot of information when writing project objectives. Therefore, they must narrow this information and make brief objectives but still contain all necessary information. The best way is to write several versions and select the best one.
项目目标应该是一个简短的单词陈述，其中包括可操作的可衡量目标。
下面给出了一些编写项目目标的最佳实践。
- Write the objective before starting the project
- Identify all objectives before developing the project charter
- Involve relevant stakeholders to get their buy-in
- Be concise; it increases the chances of objectives being read and understood
- Be transparent; ask for what is needed and expected
- 使用普通英语，而不是行话，因此团队中的每个人都可以简单地了解项目目标
- Make sure project objectives can be controlled by the organization
项目目标示例
A few examples of project objectives are given below:
Example of a Business Objective
到2022年6月，我们的高级Web开发团队将使用每周额外的八个小时开发一个经过改建的网站，包括新徽标。此外，每个星期一，他们都会为我们提供有关他们所取得的成就以及仍需要完成的内容的更新报告。我们正在为他们分配6,000美元的预算来完成该项目。
性能目标的示例
我们的销售团队计划通过为消费者提供邮箱和收件箱中的1％的优惠券，将收入增加20％。我们将在每个季度结束时使用优惠券跟踪销售。
Example of a Regulatory Objective
我们的目标是在该州最近通过的可持续性立法之后，创建一次性使用产品，对环境更可持续。到2022年8月，我们计划拥有更环保的单使用吸管，容器和器皿。我们计划将竹子用于这些产品，因为它是机械制造的，而不是化学生产的。我们将进行每周的生产检查，以确保该项目按时进行。
Examples of Good and Bad Project Objectives
良好的目标遵循智能清单，并具有所有可实现的元素。
Bad objectives are not SMART. They lack specifics, do not rely upon actions, or focus on a means to an end.
项目目标Vs Business Objectives
项目目标仅限于项目，并指导项目经理和团队成员成功完成项目。
On the other hand, business objectives have a larger view. They are much bigger than the project objectives. Therefore, project objectives should align with the business objective.
业务目标指导业务，并为业务前进方向提供指导。业务目标是为了长期业务成功。
业务目标的一个例子是“在一年内将市场份额捕获50％”。
项目目标的好处
- Provides direction to team members
- 衡量项目的成功
- 绑定和激励团队成员实现目标
- Improves planning for future projects
Conclusion
A project objective should be SMART. A well-defined objective helps complete the project with minimal hassle by providing clear expectations for stakeholders. In addition, project objectives motivate team members, provide clarity, and align their effort with the organizational goals.
