An aim statement is a clear, explicit summary of what your team hopes to achieve over a specific amount of time including the magnitude of change you will achieve. The aim statement guides your work by establishing what success looks like.
Research shows teams who develop a good aim perform better. A good aim statement captures the voice of the customer, of those we serve. It provides alignment of multiple stakeholders, helps keep the team focused on the tasks at hand, creates the urgency to accomplish the goal, provides a vision of what success looks like, and serves as a predictor of success.
An aim statement should take into account the following concerns:
When writing goals, you might want to consider how SMART objectives can impact your aim statement.
With your answers in mind, use the grid below to help you develop an aim statement. Answer “what,” “for whom,” “by when,” and “how much,” then put it all together into a full statement.
| What? | |
| For whom? | |
| By when? | |
| How much? | |
| Full statement |
Example Aim Statement 1
In response to the need to increase physical activity in child care settings, Blue Earth County Public Health formulated a strategy to address existing opportunities to form and support healthful physical activity habits in young children. By emphasizing activity in child care and preschool settings and offering young children a wide variety of physical activity choices, adults can lay the foundation for health in childhood.
To this end, Blue Earth County Public Health devised this aim statement:
By February 2011, 25% of licensed child care providers in Blue Earth County will be trained in the "I am Moving, I am Learning" curriculum.
This statement includes a specific target (25%) and a deadline (February 2011), making it easy to work toward and measure.
Example Aim Statement 2
| What? | Improve the condition of constipation |
| For whom? | Children (and their families) in our clinic on the Autism Disorder Spectrum who suffer from constipation |
| By when? | December 2015 |
| How much? |
1) > 90% of these children will have pain free stools that are soft and move their bowels at least five times a week 2) Increased satisfaction of family members managing constipation |
| Full statement | By December 2015, we, The Greatest Care in the World Clinic, will improve the condition of children in our clinic on the Autism Disorder Spectrum who suffer from constipation. Ninety percent or more of these children will have pain free stools that are soft and move their bowels at least five times a week. Families will report increased satisfaction in managing their child’s constipation. |
Example Aim Statement 3
| What? | Create sustainable strategies to improve asthma prevention across our community |
| For whom? | 10 public elementary schools within the local county |
| By when? | June 30, 2016 |
| How much? | 30 percent of public schools will have staff trained in asthma prevention; 40 percent of public schools will have at least one professional who is trained to provide education to students with asthma and their families; 40 percent of public schools will have programs to outreach to parents to increase awareness of the impact of second-hand smoke. |
| Full statement | By June 30, 2016, we will create sustainable strategies to improve asthma prevention across our community. Within our target of 10 public elementary schools in the local county, 30 percent will have staff trained in asthma prevention, 40 percent will have at least one professional who is trained to provide education to students with asthma and their families, and 40 percent will have programs to outreach to parents to increase awareness of the impact of second-hand smoke. |
Science of Improvement: Setting Aims
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Public Health QI 101: What are We Trying to Accomplish?
North Carolina Institute for Public Health