How to Develop a Program Logic Model
Learning objectives
By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:
• Describe what a logic model is, and how it can be useful
to your daily program operations
• Identify the key components of a logic model
• Develop a logic model for your program
• Use a logic model for evaluation planning
Overview of presentation
• A program’s theory of change and logic model
• Uses of logic models
• Components of a logic model
• How to read a logic model
• How to develop a logic model
• How to apply logic models to evaluation
What is a program’s theory of change?
• The general underlying idea of how you believe your
intervention will create change.
• There are three main elements:
For an overview of theory of change and evidence, CNCS grantees can refer to the
modules, “Designing Effective Action for Change” and “Evidence: What It Is and Where to
Find It”, respectively, located on the Knowledge Network.
Example of a program’s theory of change
Theory of change for a nutrition assistance program:
Problem/Need Intervention Intended Outcome
What is a logic model?
• A detailed visual representation of a program and its
theory of change.
• Communicates how a program works by depicting the
intended relationships among program components:
– Inputs or resources
– Activities
– Outputs
– Outcomes
Outcomes
Why develop a logic model?
• Generate a clear and shared understanding of how a
program works
• Support program planning and improvement
• Serve as foundation for evaluation
Key components of a logic model
• Inputs or resources
• Activities
• Outputs
• Outcomes (short-, medium- and long-term)
Outcomes
Key components of a logic model
• Inputs or resources include the human, financial,
organizational, and community resources available for
carrying out a program’s activities.
• Examples:
– Funding
– Program staff
– AmeriCorps members
– Volunteers
– Research
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook (2004)
Key components of a logic model
• Activities are the processes, tools, events, and actions
that are used to bring about a program’s intended
changes or results.
• Examples:
– Workshops on healthy food options
– Food preparation counseling
– Referrals to food programs and resources
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook (2004)
Key components of a logic model
• Outputs are the direct products of a program’s activities
and may include types, levels and targets of services to
be delivered by the program.
• Examples:
– # individuals attending workshops
– # individuals receiving services
– # individuals receiving referrals
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook (2004), Adapted
Key components of a logic model
• Outcomes are the expected changes in the population
served that result from a program’s activities and fall along
a continuum, ranging from short to long term results:
– Short-term: changes in knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes (e.g., ↑
knowledge healthy choices)
– Medium-term: changes in behavior or action (e.g., ↑ adoption of
healthy food practices)
– Long-term: changes in condition or status in life (e.g., ↑ food
security)
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook (2004), Adapted
Difference between outputs and outcomes
Outputs Outcomes
• Direct products of a program’s • Changes resulting from a
activities/services program’s activities/services
• Often expressed numerically • Quantify changes in
or quantified in some way knowledge, attitude, behavior,
or condition
• Examples: • Examples:
# attending workshops ↑ knowledge healthy choices
# receiving services ↑ adoption healthy practices
# receiving referrals ↑ food security
How to read a logic model
• Read from left to right
• Two “sides” to a logic model - a process side and an
outcomes side
How to create a logic model
• Two main approaches are used to create a logic model:
– Reverse logic (right to left) – asks “but how” questions
– Forward logic (left to right) – uses “if…then” statements
How to create a logic model using forward
logic
Forward logic uses “if-then” statements.
If changes in
behavior and
If you action are
accomplish your achieved, then
If you planned If these benefits changes in
accomplish activities to the are achieved, social,
your planned extent you then changes in economic,
If you have activities, then intended, then behavior and health, civic
access to you will participants will action that result and/or
Certain them, then you hopefully deliver benefit in from environmental
resources are can use them to the amount of learning, participants’ conditions or
needed to accomplish product and/or knowledge, new knowledge status might be
operate your your planned service that attitude, and are expected to expected to
program activities you intended skills occur occur
Resources/ Short-term Medium-term Long-term
Activities Outputs
Inputs Outcomes Outcomes outcomes
Source: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Evaluation Handbook (2004), Adapted
How to create a logic model using reverse
logic
• What is the desired long-term outcome?
– Increase # of healthy families. But how?
• What is the desired intermediate outcome?
– Increase # of families using healthy food practices. But how?
• What is the desired short-term outcome?
– Individuals gain knowledge of healthy food choices. But how?
• What outputs are needed to achieve the outcomes?
– 200 families complete an educational workshop. But how?
• What activities are needed to achieve the outcomes?
– Conduct four educational workshops per month. But how?
• What inputs are needed to achieve the outcomes?
– Funding, program staff, AmeriCorps members, volunteers, research.
Group exercise: Develop a logic model for a
wildlife conservation program
Exercise #1
A wildlife conservation program is designed to create
healthy, productive, and sustainable ecosystems for the
benefit of wildlife in areas of need.
What might this program’s logic model look like?
Example logic model for wildlife conservation
program
Outcomes
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
What we invest What we do Direct products from Changes in knowledge, Changes in behavior or action Meaningful changes, often
program activities skills, attitudes, opinions that result from participants’ in their condition or status
new knowledge in life
Example logic model for wildlife conservation
program
Outcomes
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
What we What we do Direct products from Changes in knowledge, Changes in behavior or Meaningful changes, often
invest program activities skills, attitudes, opinions action that result from in their condition or status
participants’ new knowledge in life
Funding Make trails Installed ramps Increase in trail Increase in trail use Enhancement and
accessible for and hand rails access by and enjoyment of conservation of
Staff people with on X miles of individuals with public lands by people healthy, productive,
physical trail. physical disabilities with physical sustainable
200 disabilities disabilities ecosystems for the
AmeriCorps Planted native Increase in food and benefit of wildlife
members Conduct habitat trees and other clean water supply Increase in native
development native species for native wildlife wildlife population
200 non- projects on X sites. sizes
AmeriCorps Increase in
volunteers Conduct Removed available shelter for Increase in biodiversity
invasive invasive plant native wildlife
Member species species on X
Training removal sites
Research
Developing a logic model
Exercise #2
• In each column of the logic model template, identify the
following key components for your program:
– Inputs
– Activities
– Outputs
– Outcomes (short-, medium- and long-term)
Questions to consider as you create a logic
model
Component Questions to consider
Inputs/ What resources do you need to implement your
Resources program?
Activities What activities will be or are being carried out to
achieve your program’s desired outcomes?
Outputs What are the direct products of your program’s
activities?
Short-term What changes in knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes do
you expect from your program?
Outcomes
Medium-term What changes in behavior or actions do you expect
from your program?
Long-term What changes in status or condition do you expect
from your program?
Verify your logic model
• Consider asking the following questions:
– Level of detail: Does your model contain an appropriate amount of
detail for its intended use? Does it include all key program
components?
– Plausible: Does the logic of the model seem correct? Are there
any gaps in the logic of the program?
– Realistic: Is it reasonable to assume that the program can achieve
the expected outcomes?
– Consensus: Do program staff and external stakeholders agree that
the model accurately depicts the program and its intended results?
Performance Measurement and Program
Evaluation
Performance Measurement Program Evaluation
• Ongoing monitoring and • In-depth research activity
reporting of program conducted periodically or on
accomplishments and an ad-hoc basis
progress
• Answers questions or tests
• Explains what level of hypotheses about program
performance is achieved by processes and/or outcomes
the program
• Used to assess whether or
not a program works as
expected and why (e.g., did
the program cause the
observed changes?)
Logic models as a performance measurement
tool
• A logic model can serve as a framework for planning
performance measurement activities. It can help to:
– Identify components of your program to include in performance
measurement
– Identify indicators and the measures of progress/performance that
align with program components
Logic models as an evaluation tool
• A logic model can serve as a framework for your
evaluation plan. It can help you focus your evaluation by
identifying:
– Questions want/need answered
– Aspects of program to evaluate
– Type of evaluation design
– Information to collect
– Measures and data collection methods
– Evaluation timeframe
Determining what to evaluate
Determining what to evaluate
Process Outcomes
Outcomes
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
Funding Conduct # individuals Increased knowledge Increased adoption of Families are healthier
educational receiving of healthy food healthy food practices
Staff workshops education choices Increased household
Increased access to food security
200 Provide nutrition # individuals Improved attitudes more food options
AmeriCorps and food prep receiving services about healthy eating
State and counseling
National # individuals Improved skill in
members Provide referrals receiving referrals preparation of healthy
to food programs foods
Research and resources
Increased knowledge
of food programs and
community food
resources
Determining what to evaluate
Process Outcomes
Outcomes
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
Funding Conduct # individuals Increased knowledge Increased adoption of Families are healthier
educational receiving of healthy food healthy food practices
Staff workshops education choices Increased household
Increased access to food security
200 Provide nutrition # individuals Improved attitudes more food options
AmeriCorps and food prep receiving services about healthy eating
State and counseling
National # individuals Improved skill in
members Provide referrals receiving referrals preparation of healthy
to food programs foods
Research and resources
Increased knowledge
of food programs and
community food
resources
Determining what to evaluate
Process Outcomes
Outcomes
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
Funding Conduct # individuals Increased knowledge Increased adoption of Families are healthier
educational receiving of healthy food healthy food practices
Staff workshops education choices Increased household
Increased access to food security
200 Provide nutrition # individuals Improved attitudes more food options
AmeriCorps and food prep receiving services about healthy eating
State and counseling
National # individuals Improved skill in
members Provide referrals receiving referrals preparation of healthy
to food programs foods
Research and resources
Increased knowledge
of food programs and
community food
resources
Examples of outcome measures and data
sources
Outcomes
Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term
Outcomes Increased knowledge of Increased access to more Families are healthier
healthy food choices food options
% ↑ individuals % ↑ individuals enrolled % ↓risk factors for
Measure demonstrating greater in food assistance nutrition related
understanding of programs problems and chronic
benefits of good nutrition diseases
Data Source Pre/post surveys of Administrative data Pre/post health records of
beneficiaries and a records beneficiaries and a
matched comparison matched comparison
group of non- group of non-
beneficiaries beneficiaries
Things to remember
• Developing a logic model is not completed in one session
or alone.
• There is no one best logic model.
• Logic models represent intention.
• A program logic model can change and be refined as the
program changes and develops.
• Programs do not need to evaluate every aspect of a logic
model.
• Logic models play a critical role in informing evaluation
and building the evidence base for a program.
Resources for logic model development
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model
Development Guide
[Link]
directory/resource/2006/02/wk-kellogg-foundation-
logic-model-development-guide
Innovation Network Logic Model Workbook
[Link]
l_workbook.pdf
Resources for logic model development
University of Wisconsin Extension: Program
Development and Evaluation
[Link]
[Link]
CDC Program Evaluation Resources:
[Link]
Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical
Approach (United Way)
Developing and Working with Program Logic
Models (Bureau of Justice Assistance)
Questions?
CNCS Resources
Evaluation Resources:
[Link]
americorps
Performance Measurement Core Curriculum:
[Link]
resources