1. Specific objectives Structured approach for design and assessment

2. Legal basis (Art. 2 CPR)
'A specific objective' is the result to which an investment priority or Union priority shall contribute in a specific national or regional context through actions or measures undertaken within a priority
Specific objective reflects the change, including its direction, the Member State seeks to achieve
Specific objective reflects national/regional context
Types of actions set out in an investment priority should contribute to the specific objective

3. Principles Specific objectives (SO) should:
Be more specific than the IP about target groups, problem area or structure, procedures, institutions etc. it seeks to change
Be specific enough so that supported investments can indeed contribute to the change sought and the impact can be measured
Be different for each IP within an OP
Be a stepping stone of a clear intervention logic
Not contain (key) actions or quantified targets
Logically link to the proposed actions. The desired change should be the result of the activities
Be derived from a problem analysis and hint towards a solution

4. Operational programme template
Besides the title of SO, it contains two important text boxes:
Description of the specific objective (including the outline of the results sought)
Description of the type and examples of actions to be financed and their expected contribution to the corresponding specific objectives
These two text boxes should outline a clear intervention logic of the specific objective.

5. Description of the specific objective
Should be consistent with the IP (not broader), targeting the particular needs of the MS/region
Outline reference situation (at the start of progr. period): identify problems/development needs and their underlying causes
Select the underlying causes/problems at which the interventions will be targeted (usually not all the causes can be solved by interventions)
Set out results to be achieved – measurable dimensions of these results will be captured by result indicators

6. Description of the type and examples of actions and their expected contribution to the SO
Overview of types of actions to be supported, complemented by examples as appropriate
Explanation on how types of actions contribute to attain SO and its expected results, e.g. through targeting of specific target groups or territories, focus on particular themes or issues
=> Provide a clear understanding of how SO will be pursued and the results attained in practice with the types of actions planned
Choice of output indicators must be consistent with this description

7. Description of actions
Specific objective (title)
Description of SO
Reference situation: description of problem/development need and underlying causes (incl. identification of target groups/territories)
Selection of causes/problem to be solved by intervention
Result indicators
Outline expected results
Description of actions
List of types of actions (+ examples)
Target groups
Types of beneficiaries
Specific territories targeted
Specific themes
Output indicators
How will actions contribute to attain SO and its results

8. Questions Specific objective - title Specific objective – description
1) Does the title of SO reflect the change sought?
2) Is it precisely defined (target group, problem area, etc.)?
Specific objective – description
3) Does SO describe reference situation?
4) Are problems/development needs and their underlying causes outlined? Are target groups/territories identified?
5) Is it specified at which problems and causes will the intervention focus?
6) Are expected results set out which are achievable through intervention?
7) Are results measurable? Can they be measured by suggested result indicators?
Description of the type and examples of actions and their expected contribution to the SC
8) Is it explained how planned types of actions will contribute to attain SO and its results?
9) Are the actions linked to target groups/beneficiaries/targeted at specific territories?
10) Does the description of types of actions allow for selection of output indicators?