Developing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for Community Practice
Goals and Objectives
First Goal: Improve Access to Healthcare Services in the Community.
This goal intends to ensure that the people in Portland, Indiana, with diabetes can access quality healthcare services.
Objective 1.1. Process Objective
The objective is to establish a community health task force by December 2026. The task force will consist of local healthcare providers, policymakers, and social workers. The team will assess the existing gaps in the healthcare services offered in Portland, Indiana then propose the best interventions: Developing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for Community Practice.
Objective 1.2. Community–Level Outcome Objective
This objective focuses more on increasing access to healthcare services. Therefore, by January 2027, the percentage of residents accessing primary healthcare services is expected to increase by 25 percent. This objective will be achieved through expanded mobile health unites, broadened clinic hours, and community outreach programs.
Second Goal: Reduce Cases of Obesity and Poor Nutrition
Objective 2.1. Behavioral Objective
This objective targets patients with obesity, aiming to improve their health. Therefore, it is expected that by December 2026, the percentage of patients with obesity in Portland who will participate in nutrition education and attend fitness classes will increase. This percentage is expected to increase by 40 percent, primarily through workshops, community fitness programs, and school-based initiatives.
Objective 2.2. Community-Level Outcome Objective
This objective is aimed at reducing the cases of obesity. Therefore, it is expected that by 2027, the obesity rates in Portland will be reduced by 10 percent. The key initiatives will include improving access to affordable healthcare and expanding the physical activity program.
Strategies for Achieving Goals and Objectives
First Goal: Improving access to Healthcare Services
- Increase the number of mobile clinics to broaden access to healthcare.
In this case, the number of mobile health units should be increased and deployed to marginalized regions (Vainauskienė & Vaitkienė, 2021). The initiative will increase the availability of basic medical care.
- Enhance collaboration among key stakeholders to ensure high-quality care and improved accessibility.
The collaboration will involve partnering with groups such as non-governmental health facilities, including Jay County Hospital, and local clinics.
Risk and Protective Factors
Risk factors include low health literacy, unaffordability of healthcare, and lack of transport. Protective factors, on the other hand, include the presence of a local hospital, a nonprofit organization, existing community health organizations, and support from the local government.
Targets of Change and Agents of Change
The targets of change are the populations that this initiative aims to impact. In this case, they include the low-income families, uninsured residents of Portland, and elderly individuals. On the other hand, agents of change are individuals who are expected to initiate and enforce the change. This group includes nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, healthcare providers, and local government officials.
Resources and Barriers
The current resources include those resources that are currently available for the initiative. In this case, the community clinics, Jay County Hospital, and the local health department are involved. Subsequently, obstacles are the challenges that come with the program, including resistance to change, funding constraints, and a lack of awareness.
Potential Strategies to Overcome Resistance
These strategies include providing incentives to stakeholders, such as healthcare providers, to offer healthcare services at a lower cost, building public awareness campaigns, and establishing strong partnerships with local businesses for financial support.
Second Goal: Reduce Obesity and Poor Nutrition Among Residents
- Make healthy food an accessible option by supporting local farmers and promoting community gardens.
- Implement community-wide fitness programs, such as weekly fitness classes and neighborhood running clubs.
Risk and Protective Factors
The prevailing risk factors include sedentary lifestyles, increased availability of processed foods, and a lack of knowledge about nutrition (Vainauskienė & Vaitkienė, 2021). Protective factors, on the other hand, include engaging in recreational activities, creating opportunities for recreational activities, and implementing community health programs.
Targets and Agents of Change
Targets of change include low-income families, children, and people with chronic illnesses, while the agents of change include healthcare providers, community leaders, and local government.
Potential Strategies to Overcome Resistance
These include promoting community engagement through incentives (e.g., discounts for participation in fitness programs), partnering with schools to incorporate nutrition education into the curriculum, and lastly, engaging local businesses in sponsoring wellness initiatives.
References
JD Steer, K., Olstad, D. L., JT Campbell, D., Beall, R., Anstruther, S. M., Caron-Roy, S., & Spackman, E. (2023). The impact of providing material benefits to improve access to food on clinical parameters, dietary intake, and household food insecurity in people with diabetes: A systematic review with narrative synthesis. Advances in Nutrition, 14(5), 1067–1084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2023.05.012
Vainauskienė, V., & Vaitkienė, R. (2021). Enablers of patient knowledge empowerment for self-management of chronic disease: An integrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2247. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052247
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Question
Developing Objectives for Community Practice:
Objectives are specific measurable results of an initiative. They provide specifics about how much of what will be accomplished and by when (e.g., By (date), _____ will increase/decrease by X%.)
There are three basic types of objectives:
- Process objectives: aim to measure the extent to which progress is made toward other objectives (e.g., By 2020, establish a comprehensive plan to improve emergency preparedness.)
- Behavioral objectives: aim to measure changes in behaviors of people (what they are doing and saying) and the products (or results) of their behavior (e.g., By 2025, the percentage of 15-19-year-old youth reporting use of alcohol in the past 30 days will decrease by 25%)
- Community-level outcomes objectives: aim to measure the product or result of behavior change in many people (e.g., By 2025, the percentage of people living adequate housing in X community will increase by 30%.)
Common characteristics include:
- Specific: they tell how much of what by when
- Measurable: information can be collected, detected, or obtained from records
- Achievable: they are possible to achieve AND it’s feasible for your group to reach them
- Relevant: there is a clear connection to how they fit with the overall vision and mission of the group
- Timed: timing by which it will be achieved is clear in the objective itself and an overall timeline
- Challenging: they stretch the group to set its aims on significant improvements that are important
Instructions:
- Begin by determining what needs to occur to see real progress toward some of the problems and/or needs observed in your community exploration assignment. You may explore Census data or other credible sources to identify statistically significant problems in your community. Next, form a list of two general goals (e.g., Improve emergency preparedness programs; Increase understanding of the causes and solutions to address school-shootings).
- Then for each goal, develop two objectives. Consider what would have to change to suggest you are making progress toward that goal. Describe how much of what would change and by when and state your objectives. Consider the following questions:
- What measures of activities or outputs would help us assess whether key activities are completed?
- What changes in behavior would we see if the effort is successful?
- Critique your objective based on SMART+C attribute and come to consensus about what the objective(s) should be. Record the agreed upon objective below.
Discuss Strategies:
Keeping your goals and objectives in mind. Discuss strategies you would employ to achieve them. Consider the following information prior to the discussion:
- A strategy is a way of describing how you are going to get things done. It tries to broadly answer the question, “How do we get there from here?”
- A good strategy takes into account barriers and resources, stay in-line with the overall vision, mission, and objectives. Often initiatives use many different strategies to achieve their goals.
Developing Goals, Objectives, and Strategies for Community Practice
Common characteristics of good strategies include:
- Give overall direction- points to an overall path without dictating a narrow approach
- Fit resources and opportunities- takes advantage of current resources and assets
- Minimize resistance and barriers- good strategies attract allies and deter opponents
- Reaches those affected- strategies connect interventions with those who it should benefit
- Advance the mission- likely to make a difference on the mission and objectives
Examples:
- Increase collaboration among key sectors and stakeholders to develop improved emergency preparedness protocols
- Increase coordination and integration of existing services to increase access to adequate housing
- Assist schools in the development of substance abuse curriculum for health classes
Instructions:
Answer the following in your discussion related to generating potential strategies:
- What risk and/or protective factors contribute to challenges in this area?
- Who are the targets of change (people who experience or at risk for experiencing the issue or problem) and agents of change (those in a position to help contribute to the solution)?
- What resources and assets exist that can be used to achieve the vision and mission?
- What obstacles or resistance exist that could make it difficult?
- What are potential agents of change willing to do to serve the mission?
- Which strategies will reach those especially at risk for experiencing the problem

