Logic models: A tool for effective program planning, collaboration, and monitoring

This guide, written by Wendy Kekahio, Brian Lawton, Louis Cicchinelli and Paul R. Brandon for the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), analyses the role of logic models in effective program planning and monitoring. It looks at four areas of logic models - resources, activities, outputs and outcomes - providing definitions and outlining how they connect.

Excerpt

"A logic model is a visual representation of the assumptions and theory of action that underlie the struc ture of an education program. A program can be a strategy for instruction in a classroom, a training session for a group of teachers, a grade-level curriculum, a building-level intervention, or a district- or statewide initiative.

Developing a logic model at the beginning of program planning gives you a framework for charting the links between your program’s resources, activities, and outputs and its intended outcomes. It enables you to evaluate your program once it begins. And it helps you communicate to your stakeholders what you want to accomplish, how you intend to reach your goals, and how you will track your progress."