Desired action

What is a desired action?

A desired action is the behavior an intervention aims to support or change. A broad goal such as improving a service becomes easier to evaluate when the intended behavior is specified.

Specifying the behavior

The AACTT framework (Presseau and colleagues, 2019) identifies action, actor, context, target, and time. “Target” refers to whom or what the action is directed toward; “actor” identifies who performs it.

Example of a desired action

“Residents place accepted recyclable items in the collection bin on pickup day” is more specific than “recycle more.” Measurement might then distinguish correct sorting from total quantity collected.

Why specifying the action matters

A precise behavior definition supports measurement and investigation. It does not ensure that an intervention works or that the selected action serves everyone’s interests. Broader goals can still be measured, but should be connected clearly to the actions expected to produce them.