2.05 Logic Model
The goal of this step is to help the working group generate an initial logic model that captures the program assumptions, context, inputs, activities, outputs, and short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes. Use the Logic Model Worksheet and Logic Model Definitions and Guidance document for this step. The following is a description of the components of the logic model and an example is shown in Figure 9 (bottom of page). The programs we have worked with have also found it helpful to be aware of the key aspects of a good logic model, and therefore we created a Logic Model Feedback Form .
Inputs
Inputs should include a BRIEF, clear, informative, and complete list of key resources such as staff, curriculum, teaching materials, outside partners and facilities. Often staff inputs are described in fractional “Full Time Equivalent” (FTE) increments. The inputs should give the reader an “at a glance” idea of the program’s size and scale. The list does not need to be lengthy but should describe succinctly the resources needed to implement the program.
Activities
The activities list should be complete and understandable, as it is the basis for the remainder of the Logic Model. Based on the boundary discussion, staff should be able to determine what gets included as an activity. Activities should be well defined so that someone unfamiliar with the program can understand the activity titles. For example, instead of naming an activity “Green Garden” you could use a more descriptive (yet short and succinct) title such as “Green Garden Weekend Workshop” or “Green Garden 1-Day Conference” so that the reader gets a better idea about what is happening. The activity titles should be written so that they can be understood by a general non-specialist reader.
It is sometimes difficult to decide how narrowly or broadly to define an activity. For example: for a program consisting of multiple workshops, should the activity list include each workshop separately, or should they be bundled together into a single activity referring to the combined workshop series? The choice will depend on the nature of the program and on the kind of detail in the rest of the program model. If the individual workshops are expected to have distinct outcomes (one focuses on basic knowledge, one on how to use equipment safely, etc.) and if the resulting short-term outcomes are important to distinguish, then it may be useful to list the individual workshops as separate activities. However if you are working at a higher level of generality, and particularly if the workshops are really interwoven, then it might work better to have the workshop series as a single activity, with more comprehensive, broader outcomes.
The activities list should only include activities that reach people who participate or who are targeted and should be consistent with the program as it is described in the program description. It should typically NOT include administrative, marketing or other activities carried out by program staff. (Recruitment, follow-up and a host of other administrative activities generally do NOT belong in a logic model. However, there are exceptions. For example, it would be legitimate to have “recruitment” in a logic model if the program was working to diversify the organization’s volunteer pool.)
Outputs
Outputs are the by-products of activities. These could include certificates of attendance or completion and objects that were created as part of the program (such as products generated by participants in activities). If something is done by a participant it should be listed in the outputs section. If something is an effect on a participant, then it should be listed in the outcomes section. The outputs should be clearly described and included for activities that are likely to generate outputs.
Outcomes
The difference between short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes is a matter of relationship to each other, not just the passage of calendar time. Short-term outcomes are the earliest outcomes directly linked to the activities, medium term outcomes stem from the short-term outcomes and connect to the long-term outcomes, and long-term outcomes are generally the furthest out from the activities.
Outcomes should not be limited to things that can be “measured”. The goal in the logic model is to portray a full picture of the program and what it is expected to lead to, even if some of the outcomes are impossible to measure and even if some (long-term outcomes especially) are expected to emerge long past the time of any evaluations that may be done.
In general, the descriptions of outcomes should be clear, informative, and appropriately reflect the program description. They should be written in a general way (i.e., not context specific) and should be phrased as effects on, or changes in, participants and/or their communities or society.Short-term Outcomes
Short-term outcomes should describe results and effects on participants that are logically connected to activities. These outcomes could include things like changes in awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, opinions, aspirations, and motivations. Place outcomes in the short term column at the “first glimmer” of their appearance. For instance, the skills of participants may continue to expand over time, but they should be listed as an outcome during the time frame when generally those skills manifest for the first time. Remember that sometimes there is a chain reaction of short-term outcomes, and that even if one outcome generally arrives before another outcome, they can still both be listed in the short-term column. For instance, a student might learn a skill that leads to an increase in their self-esteem. Even though one came before the other, they may both be considered short-term outcomes.
Medium-term Outcomes
Medium-term outcomes should describe effects on participants that logically connect short-term outcomes with long-term outcomes. They tend to be follow-on effects on participants in the form of deeper or more sustained changes in short-term outcomes, and/or the spread of those effects from individual participants to their families or larger groups. Medium-term outcomes could include new behaviors or changes in behavior, practice, decision-making, policies, social action, awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, opinions, aspirations, and motivations.
Long-term Outcomes
Long-term outcomes describe the ultimate effects logically connected to medium-term outcomes. These are generally written as occurring beyond the individual or personal level and are likely to include things like social, economic, civic, or environmental effects. The subject of long-term outcomes is generally “the community” or even broader terms such as “a reduction in HIV/AIDS infection”.
Assumptions
Assumptions are the beliefs and thought patterns about how and why a program is expected to succeed. In order to help identify assumptions, ask staff what things might occur that would prevent the program from achieving its long-term outcomes. Assumptions may include the idea that the program will be funded through the next funding cycle, or that the program will have access to space and other resources that may be provided by partners or funders upon whom they rely, or that the training methodology is appropriate for the intended audience, and so on. The assumptions (and context) sections of logic models are sometimes overlooked, but in fact they provide information that is essential for understanding how and why a program works the way the rest of the logic model suggests that it does.
Context
Context is the environment (including the social, cultural and physical context) in which a program will take place. For example, context could be within an afterschool program, at a farmer’s market, or within the Spanish-speaking community. Context also includes factors that affect the need for the program, or the community history that might make the program particularly relevant. (HINT for both assumptions and context: If these details have been mentioned in the program description they do not need to be repeated at length here. Both of these sections should be brief.)
Figure 9. Sample Logic Model
