363 Copyright © 2016, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Chapter 16 DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-8637-3.ch016 Informed Governance: The Objective Defnition Model ABSTRACT How can an organization be successful if it doesn’t have clear objectives? If it does not know where to go, how can it plot a route? An organization without well-defned objectives is like a drifting ship, goes along with the winds, wherever it blows to. Defning objectives is of capital importance for good orga- nizational performance and success, vision alignment and goal focusing. Their defnition must follow strict requirements that guarantee relevance and accomplishment. Moreover, objectives must be set at all levels of the organization, so that everybody tracks the same route. This research proposes an approach to the way organizations defne objectives. Based on principles of Organizational Engineering and the Portuguese Air Force’s top-down structure and Mission, a model is proposed that takes into account relevant organizational elements needed to guarantee the objectives’ pertinence. It also provides strate- gies that can be used to align them with the management levels. INTRODUCTION The “Ends”, or where the organization wants to go, are of capital importance for its management. Once the destination is well defined, it is easier to trace the route. The inexistence of pertinently defined objec- tives is one of the most serious organizational problems. This results in disorientation which, in turn, is responsible for resource misuse which can jeopardize the wealth of the organization in a long-term situation. Normally, people’s judgment is not enough to define complex organization’s objectives. It’s necessary to take into account not only the environment where the organization is inserted, but also many organizational elements Carlos Páscoa Air Force Academy, Portugal Benjamin Fernandes University of Lisbon, Portugal José Tribolet University of Lisbon, Portugal