Using Logic Models to Guide the Planning and Evaluation of Complex Initiatives
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Using Logic Models to Guide the Planning and Evaluation of Complex Initiatives

Published: Nov 30, 2019
Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica
Human Services Early Childhood Child Development Early Childhood Systems Foundations Advisory Services Technical Assistance Strategy Development
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Authors

Felicia Hurwitz

Andrew Burwick

Key Findings
  • Logic models are a visual representation of the underlying logic behind an initiative and serve as a demonstration of connections between resources and assets invested, and their ultimate results.
  • Logic models must clearly specify each component and show the pathways between planned activities and their intended outcomes in a way that is easy for the intended audiences to understand.
  • To effectively use logic models, programs must identify measures to track progress (in other words, change over time).
  • To help measure outcomes with a focus on equity, agencies developing logic models should look for data that they can disaggregate at the necessary levels (for example, by race and ethnicity).

Promoting health equity is a top priority for organizations across the United States. This brief highlights how logic models can be an effective tool for guiding the planning and evaluation of complex initiatives, especially those that aim to promote equity for children and families and ultimately improve child well-being. It draws on Mathematica’s work with grantees of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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