Program Logic Models Clarifying Your Theory of Change

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What is a Program Logic Model? A way of clarifying the logical and (presumably) causal links between the program’s goals and the activities A graphical summary of the theory underlying a program

How Logic Models can be helpful They help communicate program theory by… visually depicting relationships between what programs do and what they expect to achieve providing a common language for engagement and discussion across groups uncovering assumptions of the program

How Logic Models can be helpful They help improve understanding of program components (activities) by… clarifying what is actually done by staff on a day-to-day basis distinguishing between administrative activities and activities designed to create change (in people, communities, etc.) highlighting those activities that share common objectives

How Logic Models can be helpful They lead to high quality evaluation by… appropriate measurement strategies suggesting key relationships to be tested highlighting important research design considerations

How Logic Models can be helpful They can in turn lead to better programs by suggesting… how to plan new programming how to modify existing programming

Components of a Basic Program Logic Model

Program Activities Program activities (or simply “activities”) describe what is done (tasks, interactions, etc) by staff on a day-to-day basis. They use “action words” to describe what is done in a program -- to “provide”, “teach”, “promote”… Sometimes more “fuzzy” action words are used --- “facilitate”, “nurture”, “foster”. A “program” is almost always broader in meaning than a “program activity”. give diff between program and program activity, example micro example – could reasonably pull out elements of educational curriculum, but easier to use a broad knowledge area (teach parenting strategies). clustering often done to save space. May be good reasons to keep separate, if need be. Example, explicating particular staff roles. Sometimes activities are called “program components”

Some tips on writing activities for logic models Avoid overly specific activities. Activity details can be put in supporting documents re: program description Provide education on introductory concepts in evaluation Provide education on creating logic models Provide education on measuring outcomes Providing education on Program Evaluation Increased student knowledge of PE Increased student knowledge of intro concepts Increased student knowledge of logic models Increased student knowledge of measurement

Some tips on writing activities for logic models Raise funds through fundraising raffle Hire quality staff These types of activities are usually left out of logic models Activities usually start here, and are more directly linked to short term outcome objectives Provide pre-natal education Leaving out support, administrative or other operational tasks does not mean they are unimportant to the program…it just means that they are not as directly important to the logical connections between activities and outcomes Increase knowledge of healthy pre-natal behaviors

Program Goals Goals are the longest term, broad vision of your program. Sometime called “Ultimate Outcome Objectives” They are often a version of an organization’s mission statement or mandate. Typically goals are not measured directly (but in large, longitudinal projects, they might be). Short- and Long-term Outcomes, through some logical sequence, all funnel down into Goals. Example: “Improved quality of life of community members” or “Eliminate family violence”.

? ? ? ? For all children to be healthy and happy Activities GOALS To provide individual counseling for at-risk parents To create peer support groups Activities To provide pre-natal education sessions ? ? ? ? For all children to be healthy and happy GOALS

Short-term Outcome Objectives The immediate benefits or changes that the target groups are anticipated to experience or display as a result of the program activities. Outcome objectives should, where possible, refer to some sort of change and direction of change. Avoid activity- oriented wording (what the program does) and focus on change (what it impacts). “Increased” and “improved” are often used in outcomes because they are more easily measured. However, fuzzier terms sometimes make more sense, especially if the outcome is qualitative (e.g., “enhanced” or “empowered”). Avoid these terms if you think you could use more measurable language. Short-term means that change happens in the short-term and does not mean temporary change. Rather, short-term objectives in a given program are designated as such because they a) follow directly from an activity and b) come before a series of other, longer term outcomes

Short-term Outcome Objectives Short-term outcomes are more directly under the control of your program. In principle, activities should have a significant impact on your short-term outcomes. The same cannot necessarily be said of long-term outcomes. It should be possible to identify a clear, direct intended causal link between at least one program activity and each identified short-term outcome objective. “Short term” is more relative than absolute: there is no specific time limit on achievement of these outcomes. Short-term means that change happens in the short-term and does not mean temporary change. Rather, short-term objectives in a given program are designated as such because they a) follow directly from an activity and b) come before a series of other, longer term outcomes

Increased knowledge of pre- & post-natal care To provide individual counseling for at-risk parents To provide pre-natal education sessions To create peer support groups Activities Short-term outcome objectives Increased knowledge of pre- & post-natal care Improved feelings of social support Increased use of healthy coping strategies

Long-term Outcome Objectives The more distant benefits or changes that the target groups are anticipated to experience or display as a result of the initiative. Generally, long-term outcome objectives are the more distant and durable changes that result from successful achievement of short-term (and intermediate) outcomes over time. A program usually has a high degree of control over short-term outcomes, but often much less control over long-term outcomes. In other words, many other factors in addition to the program will influence long-term outcomes The more distant benefits or changes that the target groups are anticipated to experience or display as a result of the initiative. Sometimes called “impacts” in order to convey the idea that they often have broader significance than short-term outcome objectives. Generally, long-term outcome objectives are the second-order changes that result from successful achievement of short-term outcomes over time. Sometimes it is not practical or feasible to measure long-term objectives and may have to be inferred from attainment of short-term objectives.

Long-term Outcome Objectives Sometimes it is not practical or feasible to measure long-term outcome objectives and may have to be inferred from attainment of short-term outcome objectives. As with short-term outcome objectives, try to use objective (i.e., clear and measurable) wording that refers to change. The more distant benefits or changes that the target groups are anticipated to experience or display as a result of the initiative. Sometimes called “impacts” in order to convey the idea that they often have broader significance than short-term outcome objectives. Generally, long-term outcome objectives are the second-order changes that result from successful achievement of short-term outcomes over time. Sometimes it is not practical or feasible to measure long-term objectives and may have to be inferred from attainment of short-term objectives.

Improved health of newborns Increased social networks among parents To provide individual counseling for at-risk parents To provide pre-natal education sessions To create peer support groups Activities Increased feelings of social support among parents Increased parents use of healthy coping strategies Short-term outcome objectives Increased parent knowledge of pre- & post-natal care Long-term outcome objectives Improved health of newborns Increased social networks among parents Improved health and well-being of parents

Examples of outcome objectives Enhanced social support of parents Increased social support of parents Increased feelings of social support Increased size social networks of parents Increased quality of social networks of parents Increased feelings of community involvement

Connecting the Boxes: Creating Program Logic Whenever you draw an arrow from an activity to a short-term outcome objective or between outcome objectives you are making a statement about the theory and logic of your program. Your arrows can be thought of as your “validity assumptions”: The assumptions you make about the “what causes what, and why” within your program. These assumptions also refer to the necessary conditions that need to be present for the link to be considered valid. Validity assumptions come from many places: The research literature Knowledge of best practices in the field Personal experiences Common sense and logic Definitely need some examples on “necessary conditions”

Activities Short-term outcome objectives Long-term outcome objectives To provide individual counseling for at-risk parents To create peer support groups Activities To provide pre-natal education sessions Short-term outcome objectives Increased parent knowledge of pre- & post-natal care Increased feelings of social support among parents Increased parents use of healthy coping strategies Long-term outcome objectives Improved health of newborns Increased size of social networks among parents Improved health and well-being of parents Often, reflecting on validity assumptions leads to the generation of new objectives For all children to be healthy and happy GOALS

Some critical thoughts on logic models….

A logic model… can come in many different formats. There is no “correct” way to format models although some ways are better than others. As a rule, models are more useful if they are clear about logical linkages and proceed temporally from what you do to what you wish to accomplish. (to borrow from PE terminology) is not an outcome but a process. You can expect to go through many iterations of your model. is only useful insofar as it is used. explain what I mean by “weak” and “strong”

Limitations of logic models Logic models do not do a good job of capturing program context and program process They can sometimes take on a life of their own. Because they purport to describe the program, people may continue to assume that it is the best rendering of what actually occurs and what the objectives are. They may contain outcome objectives that are logical but too difficult to evaluate for a variety of reasons. explain what I mean by “weak” and “strong”

Different Approaches to Logic Models Principles Target Groups Process, implementation, service objectives Additional Info on process Implementation Steps Targets Indicators Inputs Outputs/Benchmarks Additional Info on Measurement Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes Long-Term Outcomes Goals or Vision