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Are We There Yet?
Joan Hyland,PMP (October 12, 2006)

Objectives: Don't start your project without them. They define why an organization wants to go forward with an initiative, detailing desired benefits and clarifying constraints. Here are some steps to help you develop and measure them for your next project.

You have worked on your project for months. Every time you think you have completed all the activities, tasks and deliverables, the customer details another item that appears to be within scope. You are significantly over budget, with no end in sight. Why are you in this position? Because you neglected the critical step of developing project objectives, measures, and standards.

The purpose of developing objectives for your project is to define the parameters within which your project will operate. Objectives will guide project work and decision-making. Setting clear and quantifiable measures allow you to determine whether you have met an objective.

Objectives define the reasons why your organization wants to go forward with this project. These results can be tangible or intangible. Further, the objectives define the results and value that will be realized at the completion of the project.

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