The Logic Model

ABSTRACT The role of program theory in developing, operating and evaluating programs is gaining increased emphasis in recent years. A clear grasp of a program's theory can contribute to the successful performance of many important developmental and evaluative tasks along its life span. Although there is growing recognition of the importance of program theory in the development and evaluation of programs, it should be noted that this is not a simple task. Programs are often complex, comprising many different types of interlinking components. What is needed is a relatively simple instrument that can help the practitioner explicate and present program theory, by guiding and structuring the process. The logic model is such a tool, whose purpose is to describe and articulate program theory. Drawing upon examples from the authors' work with both nonprofit and governmental organizations, this paper presents potential uses of the logic model tool in explicating program theory for a variety of purposes throughout the life span of programs: for assessing the feasibility of proposed programs and their readiness for evaluation, for program development, for developing performance monitoring systems, and for building knowledge.

[1]  William J. Reid,et al.  The Empirical Practice Movement , 1994, Social Service Review.

[2]  Leslie J. Cooksy,et al.  The Program Logic Model as an Integrative Framework for a Multimethod Evaluation , 2001 .

[3]  Joseph S. Wholey,et al.  Evaluability assessment: Developing program theory , 1987 .

[4]  Aaron Rosen,et al.  Systematic Planned Practice , 1993, Social Service Review.

[5]  Catherine F. Alter,et al.  Logic Modeling: A Tool for Teaching Critical Thinking in Social Work Practice. , 1997 .

[6]  Fadhel Kaboub.  Realistic Evaluation , 2004 .

[7]  Leonard Bickman,et al.  Advances in program theory , 1990 .

[8]  L. Bickman.  Using program theory in evaluation , 1987 .

[9]  Jerome A. Winston.  Performance indicators — promises unmet: A response to perrin , 1999 .

[10]  L. Cronbach,et al.  Toward Reform of Program Evaluation , 1981 .

[11]  Carol H. Weiss,et al.  Theory‐based evaluation: Past, present, and future , 1997 .

[12]  D. J. Bernstein,et al.  Comments on Perrin’s “Effective Use and Misuse of Performance Measurement”: , 1999 .

[13]  Nina Roberts.  Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach , 1998 .

[14]  E. Mullen,et al.  Practitioner-Researcher Partnerships: Building Knowledge From, In, and for Practice , 1995 .

[15]  Meredith Minkler,et al.  Community organizing and community building for health , 1997 .

[16]  Jennifer Caroline Greene,et al.  The Inequality of Performance Measurements , 1999 .

[17]  R. J. Bogumil,et al.  The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action , 1985, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[18]  W. Shadish,et al.  Foundations of Program Evaluation: Theories of Practice , 1990 .

[19]  F. Leeuw,et al.  Reconstructing Program Theories: Methods Available and Problems to be Solved , 2003 .

[20]  Thomas D. Cook,et al.  The false choice between theory‐based evaluation and experimentation , 2000 .

[21]  Gary J. Nutt,et al.  Open Systems , 2019 .

[22]  Patricia J. Rogers,et al.  Program theory in evaluation : challenges and opportunities , 2000 .

[23]  D. Schoen,et al.  The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action , 1985 .

[24]  Susan A. Murty,et al.  Logic Modeling: A Tool for Teaching Practice Evaluation. , 1997 .

[25]  Riki Savaya,et al.  Outcome Evaluation of an Advocacy Program to Promote Early Childhood Education for Israeli Arabs , 1999, Evaluation review.

[26]  農林水産奨励会農林水産政策情報センター.  ロジックモデル策定ガイド = Logic model development guide , 2003 .

[27]  David A. Julian,et al.  The utilization of the logic model as a system level planning and evaluation device , 1997 .

[28]  Mark W. Lipsey,et al.  Theory as method: Small theories of treatments , 1993 .

[29]  Burt Perrin,et al.  Effective Use and Misuse of Performance Measurement , 1998 .

[30]  John A. McLaughlin,et al.  Logic models: a tool for telling your programs performance story , 1999 .

[31]  Susan E. Cozzens,et al.  The knowledge pool: Measurement challenges in evaluating fundamental research programs , 1997 .

[32]  Timothy A. Hacsi.  Using program theory to replicate successful programs , 2000 .

[33]  Huey-tsyh Chen.  Theory-driven evaluations , 1990 .