How Goals, Objectives, and Criteria Are Developed and Achieved: A Case Study

摘要

In a performance-based design, the specification of the goals and objectives are critical in determining the final form of the proposed fire protection design. Furthermore, since the criteria follow directly from the objectives, defining them and demonstrating their achievement are crucial for determining the acceptability of the final design. This paper investigates how goals, objectives, and criteria are developed, demonstrates how they may be achieved using a case study format, and provides insight into some of the problems that may arise during the process. The paper is divided into four primary sections: goals, objectives, criteria, and the case study. Each of the first three sections discusses the general aspects of the subject topic. The "goals" section discusses the issues for which goals may be developed: life safety arguably being the most important. Objectives, which are more specific than goals, can also be discussed in general terms, but are really meant to address specific aspects of the project. The "objectives" section of the paper discusses the various objectives that stakeholders may have for a specific project. Criteria are the most specific of these three topics and also the most prescriptive in nature. While they are directly connected with the objectives, they are also the connection with the "real world" in that they are subject to the principles of biology, chemistry, and physics. Therefore, the "criteria" section discusses the various parameters that can be considered and their advantages and disadvantages. The final section of the paper discusses a case study which involves the mandated retrofitting of a sprinkler system into a high-rise apartment building or installing a system that can provide an equivalent level of life safety (i.e., to a sprinkler system). In the case study, the "equivalent level of life safety" option will be explored. The goals and objectives of the case study are discussed, but only as an introduction to the criteria used to establish the "equivalent level of life safety." The bulk of this section will concentrate on how and why criteria are chosen and the difficulties associated with demonstrating how those criteria may be achieved in the context of the chosen case study.