How to Build Objective Evaluation Criteria - Selection Logic

Overview

“Objective criteria–means operational definitions and repeatable measurement, not the absence of values. This aligns with A2 and corollary T1.2: weights are conditional and reviews embed assumptions.[^1]

Theory anchors: A2 · T1.2

1. A practical recipe (SMART)

Criteria should be:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant (to the user’s needs)
- Time-bound (measurement conditions)

2. Avoiding false objectivity

Good practice:
- state the user model (needs, constraints),
- publish the scoring rubric,
- separate facts (measurements) from values (weights).

3. Standards context (English-world orientation)

Depending on category, objective criteria often rely on test methods from:
- ISO/IEC (domain-dependent),
- ASTM (materials/testing),
- NIST guidance (security-related).

Standards are baselines. They do not remove the need to state weights explicitly.[^2]

References

1. Keeney, R. L., & Raiffa, H. (1993). Decisions with Multiple Objectives: Preferences and Value Tradeoffs. Cambridge University Press.[source]
2. Simon, H. A. (1955). A behavioral model of rational choice. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 69(1), 99–18.[source]

Further Reading

• M1: Need Clarification
• M2: Multi-Dimensional Evaluation
• M5: Decision Validation