What is a Logic Model?

A Logic Model is a simple flowchart showing a program's inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. You might see this requirement in grant applications. It's used in planning, managing, evaluating, and communicating the effectiveness of programs and projects.

• Inputs are the resources needed.

• Activities are the strategies you will implement to meet your goals.

• Outputs are

• Outcomes are what you want to see happen. (Can be divided into short, intermediate, and long term.)

It's good in that it provides a basic plan. Personally, I think it's too basic. Also there aren't defined rules. Activities are sometimes complicated with additional subcategories like Participants, Outreach, or Products. Tangible items like "office space" and intangible concepts like "expertise" are lumped together under Inputs. And there is no standard of specificity. One organization may generalize "labor" vs. while another lists "staff" and "volunteers" separately.

But my biggest issue is that the standard Logic Model template doesn't account for complex relationships, like when Activities affect multiple Outcomes. Or the unequal influence of Inputs. An example is money, which is pretty much always included as an Input, along with staffing, supplies, time, etc. But in reality money affects everything else and in enough amount can typically solve most of other resource issues. The purpose is to simplify a project, but an accurate model would not be simple.

All this means is when evaluating programs, it's like comparing apples to oranges. Again, it's good in that it provides basic structure, and at the very least demonstrates to funders that you've thought through your project to some extent. But other than that, I'm not convinced it's that useful.