Communication Plan Step 2: Set Goals and Objectives
This section includes some examples of SMART goals, including PFAS-specific examples.
Example SMART Goals
Example: Communication of goals
Issue: The governor established an independent PFAS science advisory panel of national experts to provide guidance to the state on protectiveness of criteria and develop science-based recommendations that will guide the administration and legislature on the best regulatory policy moving forward.
Goal: The PFAS science advisory panel will complete a report within 6 months that will provide a general understanding of human health risks associated with PFAS in the environment. These science-based data will be used to develop a regulatory response that the administration and legislature will implement by X date.
Example: Assessing stakeholder concerns
Issue: Due to public health concerns, the state environmental agency will conduct a statewide study of PFAS levels in X public water supplies at X schools that operate their own wells by X date.
Goal: By X date, the state environmental agency will develop an inventory and location map of sites where PFAS has been used or disposed; prioritize sites for further investigation based upon the potential to impact drinking water supplies (using information from state groundwater maps, site history, and site ownership); incorporate data into a GIS-based data management system; and develop and implement a plan to sample school private and or public water wells to assess potential impacts to drinking water supplies from prioritized sites.
For this example:
- Specific: develop an inventory and location map
- Measurable: testing water from wells
- Attainable: implement a plan to sample private and public water supplies
- Relevant: testing at prioritized sites will define impact
- Timely: by July 1
Example: Short-term SMART goal (from the Little Hocking Water Association case study, PFAS Tech Reg Document, Section 15.4.1).
- By (date), the community is informed via the municipal website, flyers, and canvassing that bottled water is available as an alternate water source and utilized by 85% of the population.
- After (months), the extent of the impacted water supply is known via well testing and communicated to the community via a public meeting, municipal website, and newsletter
Example: SMART goal (from the Little Hocking Water Association case study)
- By (date) or after (months), using a community-first strategy that includes the establishment of a community advisory committee, and uses multiple methods of communication – media, social media, internet ,and meetings – determine whether blood PFOA levels were elevated and provide actions that 12,000 residents can take to produce a measurable reduction of PFOA blood levels.
