SMART / SMARTER is a mnemonic used in project management at the project objective setting stage. It is a way of evaluating the objectives or goals for an individual project. The term is also in common usage in performance management, whereby goals and targets set for employees must fulfill the criteria.

The first known uses of the term occur in the November 1981 issue of Management Review by George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham. ^[1]

In recent years the terms 'SMART' (see below) and, less commonly, 'DUMB' (doable, understandable, manageable & beneficial) ^[2] have been used beyond the original context of project management.

[edit] Terms behind the letters

There is no clear consensus about precisely what the five + two keywords mean, or even what they are in any given situation. Typically accepted values are:

Letter	Major Term	Minor Terms
S	Specific	Significant[3], Stretching, Simple
M	Measurable	Meaningful[3], Motivational[3], Manageable
A	Attainable[4]	Appropriate, Achievable, Agreed[5][6], Assignable [7], Actionable, Action-oriented[3], Ambitious[8]
R	Relevant	Realistic[7], Results/Results-focused/Results-oriented[4], Resourced[9], Rewarding[3]
T	Time-bound	Time framed, Timed, Time-based, Timeboxed, Timely[4][6], Time-Specific, Timetabled, Time limited, Trackable, Tangible
E	Evaluate	Excitable, Ethical
R	Reevaluate	Rewarded, Reassess, Revisit

Choosing certain combinations of these labels can cause duplication; such as selecting Attainable and Realistic; or can cause significant overlapping as in combining Measurable and Results; Appropriate and Relevant etc. Agreed is often used in management situations where buy-in from stakeholders is desirable (eg appraisal situations).

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Strategic planning