Introduction
Habitat for Humanity International (HHI) is a non-profit organization with the vision of a world where all people have decent accommodation. HHI operates in more than 70 countries around the globe and partners with volunteers and low-income families to build or restore their housing. This paper will provide an overview of the short-term and long-term goals of the organization and discuss why goal setting is essential in the public sector.
Short-Term Goals
Two short-term goals HHI is pursuing are building community impact and initiating sectoral influence. The organization is willing to help 650,000 people annually in constructing or renovating their homes (Habitat for Humanity, 2016). To achieve this objective, HHI is planning to support families directly. The organization is acknowledging the need to increase support for disaster-affected families. In terms of sectoral influence, HHI wants to partner with manufacturers and governments to decrease the cost of construction materials and develop policies that will help people attain more favorable housing. However, these goals will be challenging to achieve because of COVID-19 and the resulting economic consequences. Many people lost their jobs, which increased the number of individuals that need aid. Governments may not have the resources to develop housing programs and support HHI’s initiatives. The organization can overcome these challenges by seeking assistance from individuals that can donate. Moreover, HHI can alleviate economic consequences by providing employment opportunities for people that work in the construction sector.
Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals include generating societal impact and achieving the organization’s sustainable development goals. HHI wants to promote its vision globally and convince people that progress is not possible without providing everyone with adequate housing. The organization desires to ensure that at least 2.5 million people annually support the cause (Habitat for Humanity, 2016). No goal can be achieved if an entity cannot sustain itself, however. Therefore, HHI is seeking to become a sustainable organization that can fund all its missions without relying too much on external support. Moreover, HHI wishes to build a culture where all members can strive to develop their leadership capabilities (Habitat for Humanity, 2019). The economic downturn will have a severe impact on these long-term goals. HHI cannot become sustainable unless it generates enough income from its current projects. However, no revenue can be made if all people are facing economic hardships globally. HHI needs to research alternative funding methods if it wants to be durable.
Importance of Goal Setting
It is not possible to evaluate the efficacy of current organizational processes without setting clear and measurable aims. Goal setting allows one to focus in order to concentrate on critical aspects of operations. Short-term objectives can provide insights on what parts of an organization are facing hardships at a micro-level (Poister, 2010). For instance, if an organization could not meet its short-term goal, researching the reasons may hint at what micro-processes should be amended. Long-term objectives are strategic in nature, and therefore, help identify pitfalls in top management (Bryson, 2018). Relying on scientific evidence on the benefits of goal setting in the public sector can help construct effective short and long-term goals. For example, McKinsey and Company conduct studies regularly and share discovered information with the public (Bernecker et al., 2018). Organizations may need to change how they set goals if they constantly underachieve them.
Conclusion
Habitat for Humanity International works toward providing all people with affordable housing through building and renovation activities. Its short-term goals include helping at least 650,000 people annually and partnering with companies and governments to decrease housing costs and initiate policy change. For the long-term, the organization is planning to seek help from at least 2.5 million people annually and move toward economic sustainability. Such goals are essential to set because they help identify performance issues and develop correct mitigation strategies.
References
Bernecker, A., Klier, J., Stern, S., & Thiel, L. (2018). Sustaining high performance beyond public-sector pilot projects. McKinsey & Company.
Bryson, J. M. (2018). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement (5th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Habitat for Humanity. (2016). 2020 strategic plan [PDF document].
Habitat for Humanity. (2019). Annual report [PDF document]. Web.
Poister, T. H. (2010). The future of strategic planning in the public sector: Linking strategic management and performance. Public Administration Review, 70(s1), s246-s254.