BUILDING A LOGIC MODEL

There are several ways to build a logic model. They come in different shapes and sizes. The logic model you build should depend heavily on the needs of your coalition and its constituents. Often, program staff will need to combine components from different types of logic models.

In the coalition/prevention field there are two common logic model formats: The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) and United Way.

1.  CSAP/ Western Regional Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies

To build a useful logic model, you will need to answer the following questions about the program in a chart format:

A. What are the risk and protective factors to be addressed? (the goals)

The first thing you will need to know is what risk and/or protective factors you plan to address. If you have done a needs assessment, prioritized your needs, and identified resources, you should have a good idea about the goals that are important for your program to address.

B. What services and activities will your program provide? (the strategies)

What are the activities involved in your program? That is, what will you actually be doing? It is very important to specify what activities you plan to do: A program that isn't implemented in the way it is planned is not likely to lead to the expected program outcomes. Also, specify when the activities will be implemented and how much.

C. Who will participate in, or be influenced by, the program? (the target group)

To whom is the program being delivered? That is, who is the recipient of your program, or whom do you expect to be influenced by your activities? You should also know whether the strategy you've chosen is universal, selective, or indicated.

D. How will these activities lead to expected outcomes? (theory of change/"if-then" statements)

Identify the assumptions underlying your program. That is, think about why and how program activities are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. A very common problem in prevention programs is when the chosen program activities and strategies do not lead logically to the goals or outcomes that the program would like to achieve. That's why we recommend thinking through the assumptions of why and how you expect your program to lead to the desired changes. What are the steps that turn inputs into outputs into outcomes? You might think about this as a series of "if-then" relationships.

For example, If the program invests time and money to develop an inventory of drug-free summer activities, then youth will be more informed about what is available in the community. If youth know what is available, then they will be more likely to participate in these programs. If youth participate in alternative activities, then they will be more likely to develop friendships with non-using peers, and then be less likely to use ATOD themselves.

Note that even in this very simple series of if-then statements there are a number of assumptions about the problem to be addressed, how the program will work and what it can achieve.

For example, it assumes that:
* youth currently don't know about many available activities;
* the collaborative will have the necessary time, money, and expertise to develop the resource inventory;
* once the resource inventory is developed, people will use it, particularly the identified target group;
* knowing about the activities will lead youth to actually use the activities, and
* the activities will support development of new, positive peer relationships.
When developing your map or logic model, think about the underlying assumptions. Are they realistic and sound? What evidence do you have to support your assumptions?

E. What immediate changes are expected for individuals, organizations or communities? (short-term outcomes)

Short-term outcomes are the immediate program effects that you expect to achieve. For example, a life skills training program is expected to show an increase in students' problem solving skills when the program is completed.

F. What changes would the program ultimately like to create? (the long-term impacts)

Long-term impacts, on the other hand, are the long-term or ultimate effects from the program. Let's follow our life skills training program example one step further. We attempt to increase students' problem-solving skills, the immediate outcomes, because we believe that these increases skills will ultimately help to prevent or reduce student drug use, the long term impact. However, research shows us that many factors (e.g. knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior, policy) must change and much time must pass before we can detect any changes in the ultimate impact on drug use.

2. United Way/University of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX)

It contains six components with Inputs-Outputs-Outcomes being central to the model:

A. SITUATION

The context and need that gives rise to a program or initiative; logic models are built in response to an existing situation.

B. INPUTS

The resources, contributions and investments that are made in response to the situation. Inputs lead to outputs.

C. OUTPUTS

The activities, products, methods, services that reach people and users. Outputs lead to outcomes.

D. OUTCOMES (initial, intermediate, longer-term)

The results and benefits for individuals, groups, agencies, communities and/or systems.

E. ENVIRONMENT

The surrounding environment in which the program exists and which influences the implementation and success of the initiative, including politics, climate, socio-economic actors, market forces, etc.

F. ASSUMPTIONS

The beliefs we have about the program, the participants and the way we expect the program to operate; the principles that guide our work. Faulty assumptions may be the reason we don't achieve the expected outcomes.