Choosing targets

How do the targets relate to the indicators?

Targets are about looking at how indicators change—and how you would expect them to change if you are to meet your objectives.

In order to develop targets for the indicators you have identified it’s useful to consider:

• Ideally, would you like this indicator to change? If so, by how much and over what time scale?


• Realistically, by how much is it possible to change the current situation?

For example, if there's a problem with people missing appointments at your local hospital, you might decide that there's a particular issue with access for elderly people by public transport. If an hour is a reasonable time for them to travel, ‘What percentage of elderly people in the area can currently get to the hospital within an hour’ would be a good indicator to use.

Setting the target would mean stating, for example, that you aim to increase this current percentage up to a higher level over a given period of time, e.g. from a current level of say 65% to 75% within three years.

Next Section ... Setting achievable targets ...