How to write SMART recommendations

This factsheet helps health service staff write clear, practical and effective gender impact assessment (GIA) recommendations. It builds on the Commission’s GIA toolkit (Step 4: Recommendation), providing sector-specific examples.

This can be shared in training, toolkits, or on the intranet. Teams can also use the examples to write recommendations.

You can download a copy of this factsheet at the bottom of this page.

What are SMART principles?

SMART stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-bound

It’s a simple way to make sure recommendations are clear and realistic. While it’s not mandatory to use SMART principles in a GIA, it can help make recommendations easier to understand and track.

Applying SMART principles to your GIA

After completing Steps 1-3 of your GIA, you will need to make recommendations based on your findings. Unclear or unrealistic recommendations make it harder to create change.

Ask these questions when writing recommendations:

Specific: Is this clear? What needs to be done? Who will do it?
Measurable: How will you know it is done? Can you track progress?
Achievable: Can this be done with available time, people and funding?
Relevant: Does it align with your team’s scope and your organisation’s goals?
Time-bound: When will it be completed? Is there a clear deadline?

Step-by-step: making SMART recommendations

Example: health screening program

A health service is creating a free health screening program. The team does a GIA and finds that promotional materials need to be more inclusive.

Start with a simple idea
- The team writes a first draft based on the problem they want to solve and the evidence they’ve found
- Example: Create more inclusive communications

Make it specific
- They explain what they will do and who will be responsible.
- Specific example: Create a set of promotional materials for our health screening program that reflects diversity.

Make it measurable
- They add indicators so progress can be tracked and evaluated.
- Specific + Measurable example: Create promotional materials that include images and stories representing different genders, cultures, abilities and age groups.

Make it achievable
- They adjust their recommendation so it is realistic within budget, time and capacity.
- Specific + Measurable + Achievable example: Develop one new brochure for the health screening program that represents people of different genders, cultures and abilities.

Make it relevant
- They check the recommendation fits within scope and aligns with broader goals.
- Specific + Measurable + Achievable + Relevant example: Partner with the Communications team to create a new brochure for our health screening program that shows people of different genders, cultures and abilities.

Make it time-bound
- They set a deadline to support accountability and planning.
- Specific + Measurable + Achievable + Relevant + Time-bound example: By the end of the financial year, partner with the Communications team to have created a new brochure for our health screening program that shows people of different genders, cultures and abilities.

SMART recommendation examples

Not SMART	SMART recommendation
Use gender inclusive language when interacting with customers.	By the end of the financial year, produce a guide for staff on gender inclusive language covering: why it matters pronouns gender inclusive terminology to describe relationships, families, and roles.
Deliver staff training on being more inclusive of trans and gender-diverse patients.	By the end of the calendar year, deliver training for reception staff on gender inclusive language and practice, covering: why it matters difference between gender and sex different gender identities challenges for gender-diverse consumers accessing health services pronouns gender inclusive terminology to describe relationships, families, and roles navigating mistakes.
Improve signage to be more welcoming of different genders and community groups.	By the end of the calendar year, install signage in reception that includes: a rainbow flag accessible and all-gender toilet options greetings in multiple languages information on interpreter services.
Ensure communications about the health screening program are inclusive.	By the end of the financial year, update the program brochure to: show people of different genders, ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds use imagery that challenges gender stereotypes. Such as men with children and women as doctors. use gender inclusive language (such as all genders) use accessible design and plain English.
Consider gender equality and diversity in consumer engagement.	By the end of the financial year, update the Terms of Reference for the Community Advisory Committee to include: diverse membership including different genders, ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds understanding the unique needs of diverse groups induction training on gender stereotypes and bias.
Build staff capacity to collect sex and gender data.	By the end of the financial year, create an FAQ document detailing: Victorian government’s guidelines on collecting gender and sex data the difference between sex and gender data why this data is being collected what is done with the data once collected what to do if clients have concerns about sharing this information.
Increase knowledge of patient advisory committees, Lived Experience Advisors, and Community Liaisons to understand their role in GIAs	By the end of the financial year, create a key message detailing GIA requirements: GIAs are a legislated reporting requirement all new policies, programs and services require a GIA where to look for more information.
Increase consumer understanding about sex and gender data collection.	By the end of the financial year, create and display flyers and posters for waiting areas that detail: new requirements to collect sex and gender data why are these questions being asked what happens to this information.
Develop a consumer navigation video to support wayfinding for people of different genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds when visiting the health service.	By the end of the calendar year, develop a consumer navigation video to support wayfinding for people when visiting the health service. It should: show people of different genders, abilities, and cultural backgrounds use plain language be available in different languages describe accessibility features of the building, such as ramps, elevators, and electronic doors note toilet facilities available, including accessible and all-gender toilet options contain closed captions and audio descriptions.
Seek feedback from consumers of all genders about their user experience of the health service.	By the end of the financial year, seek feedback from consumers of all genders about their user experience of the health service by: adding a question about gender identity to the consumer feedback form including a specific question in the feedback form asking if consumers: 1) feel included and welcomed at the service, 2) feel their needs are being met, and 3) have any unique needs due to their gender, ability, cultural background, religion, sexuality or age. displaying a QR code for the consumer and providing hard copies.

Not SMART

SMART recommendation

Use gender inclusive language when interacting with customers.

By the end of the financial year, produce a guide for staff on gender inclusive language covering:

why it matters
pronouns
gender inclusive terminology to describe relationships, families, and roles.

Deliver staff training on being more inclusive of trans and gender-diverse patients.

By the end of the calendar year, deliver training for reception staff on gender inclusive language and practice, covering:

why it matters
difference between gender and sex
different gender identities
challenges for gender-diverse consumers accessing health services
pronouns
gender inclusive terminology to describe relationships, families, and roles
navigating mistakes.

Improve signage to be more welcoming of different genders and community groups.

By the end of the calendar year, install signage in reception that includes:

a rainbow flag
accessible and all-gender toilet options
greetings in multiple languages
information on interpreter services.

Ensure communications about the health screening program are inclusive.

By the end of the financial year, update the program brochure to:

show people of different genders, ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds
use imagery that challenges gender stereotypes. Such as men with children and women as doctors.
use gender inclusive language (such as all genders)
use accessible design and plain English.

Consider gender equality and diversity in consumer engagement.

By the end of the financial year, update the Terms of Reference for the Community Advisory Committee to include:

diverse membership including different genders, ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds
understanding the unique needs of diverse groups
induction training on gender stereotypes and bias.

Build staff capacity to collect sex and gender data.

By the end of the financial year, create an FAQ document detailing:

Victorian government’s guidelines on collecting gender and sex data
the difference between sex and gender data
why this data is being collected
what is done with the data once collected
what to do if clients have concerns about sharing this information.

Increase knowledge of patient advisory committees, Lived Experience Advisors, and Community Liaisons to understand their role in GIAs

By the end of the financial year, create a key message detailing GIA requirements:

GIAs are a legislated reporting requirement
all new policies, programs and services require a GIA
where to look for more information.

Increase consumer understanding about sex and gender data collection.

By the end of the financial year, create and display flyers and posters for waiting areas that detail:

new requirements to collect sex and gender data
why are these questions being asked
what happens to this information.

Develop a consumer navigation video to support wayfinding for people of different genders, abilities and cultural backgrounds when visiting the health service.

By the end of the calendar year, develop a consumer navigation video to support wayfinding for people when visiting the health service. It should:

show people of different genders, abilities, and cultural backgrounds
use plain language
be available in different languages
describe accessibility features of the building, such as ramps, elevators, and electronic doors
note toilet facilities available, including accessible and all-gender toilet options
contain closed captions and audio descriptions.

Seek feedback from consumers of all genders about their user experience of the health service.

By the end of the financial year, seek feedback from consumers of all genders about their user experience of the health service by:

adding a question about gender identity to the consumer feedback form
including a specific question in the feedback form asking if consumers: 1) feel included and welcomed at the service, 2) feel their needs are being met, and 3) have any unique needs due to their gender, ability, cultural background, religion, sexuality or age.
displaying a QR code for the consumer and providing hard copies.

Download a copy of this factsheet:

4 - How to write SMART recommendations - GIA health factsheet

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Updated 14 April 2026