Hi Robert ...
I also struggle with the concept of targets.
Working in the public sector, I fully understand why services are target driven but you're right - there is a huge danger in doing work which clearly meets a target and therefore "ticks a box" somewhere but is that work really making a difference to the very people whom the service should be helping?
My service is going through a period of change. We've had meetings to discuss areas of concern and we've been mapping our current provision to check whether we are actually working in the areas which - on the face of it, using measures such as SIMD data - seem to need our input most. We're trying to let go of stuff which isn't working and from there, hoping to focus all our resources on what we think might work more effectively ... but no matter which way you look at it, there are still targets to meet in terms of how many learners we're engaging with, how many learners are actually attending, how many learners are achieving their goals - the list goes on and on!
I think what helps me most is that if the work I'm doing doesn't start and end with social practice, then it's not something I should be doing at all, no matter which target it might meet. I'm sure that in common with everyone else on this forum, I've tried every possible creative approach I can think of to work with learners, based on what they're telling me about their needs, and that's the key to it. Learner need comes before targets.
Hope that makes sense!
Julia
