Worksheets for Step 2 of the 8-Step Communication Planning Model*
The 8-Step Communication Planning Model enables users
to create an effective, site-specific communication plan.
The model, illustrated here, will help you:
 Assess where you are right now (Step 1)
 Set measurable communication goals
and objectives (Step 2)
 Define your intended audiences (Step 3)
 Develop and pretest messages (Step 4)
 Select the best ways to deliver your messages (Step 5)
 Create an action plan (Step 6)
 Develop and pretest materials (Step 7)
 Implement, evaluate, and modify your plan (Step 8)
Steps 1-5 represent the development of your strategy.
In Steps 6-8, you move from strategy to action. Engage your staff and partners in learning about the
model and creating a communication plan tailored to your program and the populations you serve.
Step 2: Set Communication Goals and Objectives
Purpose of Step 2: To articulate measurable, short- and long-term communication goals and objectives for your
program.
In Step 1, you assessed where your program is right now. In Step 2, you’ll set meaningful communication goals and
objectives that state where you want to go. Communication goals are desired long-term outcomes. A
communication goal can often be defined by answering the question “What do you want people to do that they are
not already doing?” Or, as seen through a social marketing lens, “What behavior does your program want to see
change?” Communication goals should support your program’s overarching goals. Here are some examples of
communication goals:
 When school-age children witness bullying, they tell an adult.
 Children are screened for behavioral wellness before entering kindergarten.
 Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) is implemented with fidelity in every school in our district.
 High schools in our district embrace our program’s recommended disciplinary referral process.
Communication objectives are short-term, measurable steps toward a communication goal. Your objectives may
include raising awareness of an issue, but to result in real change, they should emphasize convincing your audiences
to take a specific action. For example, if your program’s communication goal were to increase behavioral wellness
screening for children entering kindergarten, your communication objectives might focus on the following:
 Educate parents about the value of behavioral wellness screening for preschool-age children.
 Persuade local pediatricians to inform parents about the importance of screening.
 Convince local schools and health clinics to serve as host sites for screening events.
 Use multiple channels to publicize the screening events to parents of preschool-age children.
This model is based on the National Cancer Institute’s Making Health Communication Programs Work (the “Pink Book”; 2001), with additional
information drawn from Kotler, Roberto, and Lee’s Social Marketing: Improving the Quality of Life (2002).
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Make Your Communication Goals and Objectives SMART
It’s important to refine your communication goals and objectives by making them “SMART.”
Simple
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
• The goal or objective is clearly stated and easily understood.
• Quantitative or qualitative outcomes to measure achievement
of the goal or objective are stated.
• The goal or objective is challenging but realistic.
• The goal or objective is linked to your audience's needs and
priorities.
• A deadline for achieving the goal or objective is stated.
The following are SMART versions of the sample communication goal and objectives from the previous page:
SMART Communication Goal:
 By September of next school year, persuade 65 percent of parents of entering kindergarteners to have their child
screened for behavioral wellness.
SMART Communication Objectives:
 By May of next school year, provide information about behavioral screening to all parents of entering
kindergarteners.
 By June of next school year, persuade six facilities (including schools and health clinics) to host back-to-school
behavioral screening events.
 By September of next school year, promote screening events to parents through schools, pediatricians, health
clinics, day care centers, media, and social media.
Prioritize Your Efforts
It’s important to prioritize your communication efforts. Your highest priority communication goals and objectives
should be:
 Realistic and important to accomplish in the next six to twelve months
 Aligned with your program’s logic model, implementation plan, and/or sustainability strategy
 Easy to accomplish
SMART Communication Goals Worksheet
In the table below, list up to five SMART communication goals for your program. (Remember to consider your
findings from Step 1 of the 8-Step Communication Planning Model.) Then, in the right-hand column below, prioritize
your goals by ranking them from one to five. Your number one goal should be your highest priority.
SMART Communication Goals
Example: By September of next school year, persuade 65 percent of
parents of entering kindergarteners to have their child screened for
behavioral wellness.
Prioritize from 1–5
SMART Communication Objectives Worksheet
For each SMART communication goal you listed on the previous page, list below up to four SMART communication
objectives that will help you reach the goal. Then prioritize your objectives for each goal by ranking them from one to
four.
SMART Communication Goal #1:
Related SMART Communication Objectives
Example: By June of next school year, persuade six facilities (including
schools and health clinics) to host back-to-school behavioral screening
events.
Prioritize from 1–4
SMART Communication Goal #2:
Related SMART Communication Objectives
Prioritize from 1–4
SMART Communication Goal #3:
Related SMART Communication Objectives
Prioritize from 1–4
SMART Communication Goal #4:
Related SMART Communication Objectives
Prioritize from 1–4
SMART Communication Goal #5:
Related SMART Communication Objectives
Prioritize from 1–4