Ann Gillard on Using Logic Models

Howdy, I am Ann Gillard, Ph.D., Director of Research and Evaluation at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Hole in the Wall is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge. Last year I led a logic model creation process with our Hospital Outreach Program. After the process, the staff asked, “Great! But now what?”

Lessons Learned: In all of the wonderful guides to teach how to create logic models, the theories behind them, and how to involve stakeholders in their creation, I have found only rare examples of what to do with a logic model after it’s completed. Below are some ideas most relevant to nonprofit organizations, but other types of institutions can adapt these to their contexts.

Hot Tips:

1. Circle back to your stakeholders with the final logic model in a short meeting. Explain what changes you made, point out where their ideas are reflected, and get one more final ok.
   1. In this meeting, discuss who has the responsibility for sharing the logic model with new staff, new collaborators, etc., and how they will share it.
2. Help out these people by writing a one-page “talking points” memo so they will remember the important points about the logic model, such as logic model definitions, what the logic model shows, why we created this, who uses it, and other ideas relevant to your organization.
3. Send the logic model (and talking points) to your fund development team for use in proposal writing and reporting.
4. Send the logic model (and talking points) to your communications team to put onto your website so people will find it when looking for program descriptions.
5. At your next board and staff meetings, present and explain the logic model.
6. As an evaluator, show staff how you use the specific wording and ideas from the logic model to develop evaluation questions, surveys, interviews, etc.
7. Take your logic model file to a printing place and blow it up to poster size, laminate it, and hang it in the office.
8. Laminate regular-sized copies of the logic model for current and new employees as part of their supervisory conversations
9. Set a date on your calendar in the future to meet with staff to review the logic model again.

Rad Resources:

University of Wisconsin-Extension has great suggestions on how to evaluate your logic model. Check out the sections of this document titled “How good is my logic model?” and “Using logic models in evaluation.”

Thank you. Please add your own ideas to the comments below!

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