Målsetningen

Målsetningen is a term used in Norwegian to denote the stated objective or target of a plan, program, or activity. It corresponds to the English terms “the objective” or “the goal” and is formed from the noun mål (goal) combined with a suffix that marks definite form; in practice, the definite form is må lsetningen, i stedet for the non-definite form målsetning. The term is used across sectors to describe what a project or policy aims to achieve and is typically stated as a concise, specific sentence.

In planning and evaluation, a målsetning serves as the reference point for design, monitoring, and assessment. It is usually framed so that progress can be measured and success can be determined. In project management, strategy documents, and public policy, målsetningen guides decisions about scope, resources, and timelines. In education, læringsmålsetninger specify the intended knowledge and skills a student should acquire by the end of a course or module.

Relation to other terms is close: mål refers to the goal itself, while målsetting denotes the process of setting goals. The plural form is målsetninger, and the singular definite form is målsetningen. In translations, målssetningen is commonly rendered as “the objective” or “the goal.”