ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the issues and processes associated with developing and articulating goals, objectives and strategies. Health planning values associated with the development of goals, objectives and strategies reflect broader health system values. The chapter canvasses a selection of the available tools but cautions planners against using such tools indiscriminately. Before doing so, it provides definitions of goals, objectives and strategies, and clarifies the relationship between them. The chapter provides a well-accepted set of definitions for key terms. However, planners need to be aware that there are others. An example of a population health goal might be ‘to reduce the incidence of melanoma’, while a service goal might be ‘to increase utilisation of maternal and child health services’. Goals, objectives and strategies are intertwined and the emphasis shifts from goal to objective, to strategy back to goal, as the planning responsibility moves through the various levels of the health care system.
