At Urban Matters, we are privileged to collaborate with communities, organizations, and local governments working toward positive social change. Whether we’re supporting a nonprofit’s strategic planning or helping a municipality incorporate new legislation for accessibility and housing, we recognize the importance of ensuring that the work we do reflects the values of equity and belonging.

A tool that we are excited to utilize more is the SMARTIE goals framework. It takes the familiar SMART approach—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—and adds two essential dimensions: Inclusion and Equity. This framework can help think more intentionally about who is affected by our work and how we can ensure our goals address systemic barriers.

Why Equity and Inclusion Matter in Goal-Setting

Traditional goal-setting frameworks focus on outcomes and accountability. While these are important, they don’t always challenge us to think deeply about how those outcomes are achieved—or who may be excluded along the way.

At Urban Matters, we strive to approach every project with a commitment to listening and learning from the diverse voices of people with lived and living experience of the subject matter. SMARTIE goals can be a tool to help ensure that the plans or strategies we develop alongside our clients reflect the perspectives and needs of everyone, particularly those who are seldom heard or have been historically excluded. This process allows us to work toward outcomes that are not only effective, but also community-driven.

The SMARTIE Goals Framework

SMARTIE goals build on the tried-and-true SMART framework:

1. Specific: Clearly define what you want to achieve. Vague goals can lead to confusion, while specificity creates clarity and focus.
2. Measurable: Set clear criteria for measuring progress. This ensures accountability and helps everyone understand what success looks like.
3. Achievable: Aim for goals that are realistic and within reach, given the time and resources available.
4. Relevant: Align goals with broader organizational priorities or community needs. This keeps the work grounded in purpose.
5. Time-bound: Establish a timeline for achieving the goal, creating urgency and accountability.
6. Inclusive: Actively involve those who have been historically excluded, creating space for their voices and ensuring participation from diverse perspectives.
7. Equitable: Design goals that address systemic inequities, create fair outcomes, and reduce barriers for marginalized groups.

Example:

SMART Goal:

Draft a 5-year transportation plan for the City by December 2025, incorporating input from at least 50 stakeholders.

SMARTIE Goal:

Draft a 5-year transportation plan for the City by December 2025, incorporating input from at least 50 community members, including outreach to historically excluded groups such as youth, Indigenous communities, and people experiencing poverty or homelessness, and ensure all consultation events are physically and digitally accessible.

Lessons From SMARTIE Goal-Setting

What we’ve learned so far is that SMARTIE goals aren’t just a framework—they’re a mindset. They encourage us to pause and ask:

• Who is included in this process, and who is missing?
• How will this goal address systemic barriers?
• Are we co-creating solutions with those who are most impacted?

By asking these questions, we can remain focused on deeper, more meaningful change rather than simply project outcomes. In fact, something we’ve learned is that while deliverables, strategies, and action plans are critical, much of the value in our work also comes from the less quantifiable relationship-building aspect that occurs along the way. SMARTIE goals can help create the conditions for system shifts on this journey and in these relationships.

Tips for Incorporating SMARTIE Goals

1. Engage Early and Often: Bring diverse voices into the planning process as early as possible. This ensures that your goals reflect real needs and lived experiences and offer the ability for feedback to influence decision-making.
2. Focus on Accessibility: Think about how you can reduce barriers to participation—whether that’s offering childcare, translating materials, or compensating people for their time.
3. Track Equity-Focused Metrics: In addition to traditional metrics, consider how you can measure the impact your goals have on enhancing inclusion or creating opportunities for seldom heard groups. Sometimes this is as simple as asking participants how the engagement session felt for them.
4. Be Transparent: Share your approach to inclusion and equity with your team and participants themselves. This builds trust and accountability.
5. Avoid Tokenism: Equity and inclusion should not be applied symbolically. Commitment to these principles will take resources, time, and coordination. Get in the habit of planning for this so it becomes an integral part of your process.
6. Be Open to Learning: People’s needs are as diverse as people themselves. Be open to listening and learning new ways to accommodate and include more people at the table.