Tens of millions of dollars each year are invested in river, streambank and wetland rehabilitation activities in Queensland. As part of the Aquatic Ecosystem Rehabilitation Process (AERP) setting clear objectives is a necessary step to achieve program goals, provide criteria for evaluation and support adaptive management. They are critical as part of the AERP which is designed to consider a rehabilitation project within a whole-of-system, values-based framework. The SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) criteria approach has been adopted to guide objective setting in the AERP.
Historically rehabilitation projects were undertaken without defined objectives of what success looks like. Previous published studies have found projects either lack objectives altogether, or objectives are not able to be used for evaluation due to lack of specific, measurable outcomes. Our own assessment of a funding program in Queensland found that 30 projects contained 84 objectives related to on-ground outcomes, yet only one met SMART criteria. The lack of SMART objectives limits project evaluation. We cannot determine the return on rehabilitation investments.
To guide AERP users in writing SMART objectives we have adapted a template which constructs objectives by sequentially answering questions: What is being managed? How will it change? How is it measured? What is the timeframe for achievement? What is the target for change? A library of SMART objective examples has also been produced. The process can inform rehabilitation actions by establishing links with program funding goals and allow effective evaluation and adaptive management within the AERP and other rehabilitation frameworks.