If directly, then it is likely to be in response to a one-time need, the satisfaction of which will be the immediate objective of the project. If, on the other hand, the assistance would reach its target beneficiaries only indirectly, e.g., through a host country institution, then the immediate objective or objectives will normally best be defined in terms of the creation or upgrading of a capacity to satisfy the recurrent needs of the target beneficiaries on a sustained basis. For either type of project, care must be taken to state objectives which are realistic, in the sense that they fall within the range of results which reasonably may be expected to be achieved the limits of time, money and human resources of the project. They must also be stated to the extent possible in terms which allow measurement or at least observation of their achievement. Their achievement is the basis on which the success or failure of the project is to be judged.
Outputs are to be described as concretely as possible and in verifiable terms.
Some outputs may not be quantifiable. In formulating outputs, it may be useful to test them by asking if they are stated in a manner which permits a ready determination of whether and when they have been produced and whether they are of the required quality. Every immediate objective must be supported by at least one output. It is likely that there will be more than one output for every objective. Indeed, care must be taken to ensure that only the outputs necessary to the achievement of the objective are described.