System
The structure behind a target
Upstream examines targets through a fixed structural lens.
Before any number is allowed to influence behaviour or accountability, the system requires that five underlying elements are made explicit.
These elements exist whether they are stated or not.
Intent
What is this target actually trying to achieve?
Intent is often assumed rather than stated. Upstream requires that the intended outcome is explicit, not inferred — so that everyone involved is working toward the same underlying aim.
Control
Who genuinely controls the outcome?
Targets frequently rely on factors outside the owner’s control. Upstream makes this visible by distinguishing what can be influenced directly from what depends on external conditions, other teams, or chance.
Mechanism
How is this target meant to work?
Mechanisms are often believed in rather than described. Upstream asks what is expected to cause change, and how that change is supposed to occur — without judging whether the mechanism is strong or weak.
Evidence
What supports the belief that this target is achievable?
Evidence may be historical, assumed, partial, or absent. Upstream does not validate evidence — it simply requires that whatever is being relied upon is visible rather than implied.
Expectation
What level of outcome is actually being committed to?
Expectations often do more work than is acknowledged. Upstream makes explicit what success looks like, how it will be recognised, and where interpretation or optimism may be filling structural gaps.
What the system does not do
Upstream does not score targets.
It does not recommend action.
It does not optimise ambition or performance.
Its role is structural, not evaluative.
It exposes what a target is built on and allows organisations to decide what follows.
When numbers matter, their structure should be visible.
Examine a target