As part of the ADR process you will be asked to identify and agree performance objectives for the forthcoming review year. All performance objectives should be aligned to the University’s vision and corporate objectives. In agreeing objectives for the forthcoming review year the Reviewee and Reviewer should consider how the role contributes to the Strategic Plan.

Some other general points to remember about setting objectives are:

• They should be SMART i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound
• Generally between 2 and 5 objectives should be agreed depending on the job role and the relative size of each objective
• Objectives differ from the job description for the post as they are intended to identify key priorities of the coming review year rather than describing the broader responsibilities of the role over an extended time frame
• Although objective setting as part of the ADR process is an individual level process it may be appropriate to set team objectives where there are shared responsibilities e.g. in the case of particular projects or whether there is a large operational team performing the same type of role 
• Objective setting is related to performance; learning and development activities which may help to improve performance in the post and/or achieve objectives are included separately
• In order to encourage internationalisation activity it is recommended that each member of staff in Grade 6 and above, regardless of staff category, includes one objective which has an internationalisation dimension where deemed appropriate to the role
• Anyone with staff management responsibility should have at least one objective that relates to that aspect of their role

Detailed guidance on how to set objectives can be found in the Guidance on Setting Work Objectives and Associated Development Planning document.