1. Goal Setting

The first step in implementing a cessation program is defining your program’s goals: who will be the target audience (gender, race and culture, age, socioeconomic status, and any other important characteristics), what does the program hope to accomplish (changing beliefs about smoking, reinforcing attitudes toward the ability to quit, etc), how long will the program last, etc. When setting these goals, include a time line: set goals for the short term, the medium term, and the long term. This allows you to make appropriate changes where necessary and promotes positive feelings of your program’s success. In addition, when setting your objectives, include a game plan of how you will assess whether or not your goals have been met. This may include community surveys, biochemical tests for program participants (blood levels of carbon monoxide, for example), or individual feedback from those who have finished the program.

Knowing your audience is absolutely crucial when devising your program and its objectives. Identify your target audience’s demographics and know their levels of risk. Designing a program for the stay-at-home woman will not be successful for the working professional. There are a variety of professionally developed tools that can beaccessed to assess your audience’s knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. While these may be harder to obtain, they are rigorously tested and generally have a good internal reliability, meaning your test results will be indicative of actual audience levels.

If you are developing a program within a community, involving local residents in the design and management increases the likelihood of the programs success, as it promotes personal interest in the its successful implementation. Working with local people allows you to better assess your audience’s values, knowledge, and attitudes: a crucial aspect to knowing your audience. In addition, local people should have a better knowledge of community resources available for your program.

Skill Areas:
A Ability to generate baseline data on knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and beliefs that are specific to targeted demographic and risk groups within a community

B Ability to secure strong community involvement in setting program goals and objectives

C Ability to develop objectives that are meaningful to, and achievable by, target groups

D Ability to develop appropriate timeframes for program goals and objectives

E Ability to generate, identify, or adapt indicators that can be used in measuringprogress toward goal achievement

F Ability to develop goals that are specific to targeted demographic and risk groups within a community