1. Be clear on what you’re trying to achieve – and if setting targets is the best way to do that 

Well-designed targets are clear about the problem they seek to address, and about what a successful outcome looks like. Achieving this for a particular public service, for example, will involve asking your officials to brief you about trends in demand, the factors that affect the service’s performance and the experiences of service users. You should be realistic about what targets can accomplish: the evidence suggests that while they can be a powerful tool for raising minimum standards, they are not effective at driving excellence. 

It also involves considering possible knock-on effects elsewhere – progress against targets only gives a partial picture of how a service may be performing. For instance, former care and support minister Norman Lamb suggested that targets around physical health meant “discussion in the [Department of Health] was dominated by that and no real thought or time was given to mental health”. As a minister, you can bring together policy teams from across your department – and teams from other relevant departments – to try to better understand the potential implications of what your target might mean for other policy areas. 

It may well be that these wider effects counteract the performance improvements in the area subject to targets. Ask your officials what alternative tools can be used to achieve your goals – such as building relationships with delivery organisations to ensure your priorities are aligned, or helping share best practice between service providers. 

"I think you have to be very clear on your goals. I think you have to be able to set out what your focus is going to be and what success is going to look like. You need to be able to track progress."

Chloe Smith, Secretary of state for work and pensions (2022)