Chapter 3: Complaints Adjudication Training for Election Management Bodies and Political Parties B. Training Objectives The importance of writing specific competency-based training objectives cannot be understated. Specificity is important, but truly great objectives are those that are SMART. SMART is an English-language acronym used to remind us of certain characteristics that all objectives should have, as described in the text box below. If the training objectives are SMART and based on the competencies needed by participants, then it will be possible to determine the success of the program. Ultimately, success should be measured by the degree to which participants achieve competence in filing legitimate complaints, or in investigating or adjudicating electoral complaints in a fair and judicious manner. Some suggested topics for the training of participants in electoral complaint management are listed below. They are not listed in any specific order, nor are they exhaustive. But, hopefully, they are all SMART objectives. Those responsible for developing a relevant training program will undoubtedly be able to define other objectives that are more specifically suited to their legal environment. SMART Training objectives should be: Specific: The learning objective is targeted at explicit and welldefined results. Measurable: Data can be gathered to determine if the objective has or has not been met. Attainable: The objective is realistic and within the resources of the training program. Relevant: It is pertinent to the problems, needs, or desires of the key stakeholders. Time-bound: There is a set time limit as to when the objective is to be achieved. 135