Components of a logic model
A logic model is a visual representation, a road map, which shows the logical relationships
among various elements of the initiative and how the identified need is to be addressed.
I.
Goal (s)
A goal is a broad/general statement about intended outcome(s) of a program or initiative and is a
result of a needs assessment. Goals usually tend to be abstract in nature and hard to measure on
their own but are essential for the development of more concrete and measurable objectives.
Goals serve as a framework for all other components of a logic model. Goals are what we want
to achieve whereas objectives are the steps we need to take to achieve those goals.



II.
All logic model components should be connected to your goal.
Phrase your goal in terms of the change you want to achieve over the life of your
initiative, rather than a summary of the services you are going to provide.
Don’t make your statement so broad and general that it provides no guidance for
your project.
Objectives
Objectives are concrete and precise action statements that ultimately help you achieve your
goal(s), the change(s) we want to bring about. Objectives are statements of intended outcomes
that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific.



III.
Objectives should connect to specific goals.
Objectives should specify who is targeted.
Objectives specify how it will be met, by how much, and what the desired result
is.
Activities
Activities are the actions that are needed to meet your objectives—what we will do with
resources in order to meet our objectives and, ultimately, our goal(s).


You can use the activities as an outline for a work plan. Use the activities as
headings in a more comprehensive work plan that includes staff assignments and
a timeline.
Providing a complete list of activities helps people who are not familiar with your
project/program to understand what it really takes to implement it—but getting
too specific can overwhelm them.
1
IV.
Input/Resources
Identify resources needed for activities in order to meet objectives. This helps determine the
extent to which the initiative can be implement and desired outcome can be achieve. A list of
resources can also be used to develop a budget for the initiative.





V.
Human resources: Personnel with sufficient abilities and skills to implement
activities.
Financial resources: Money needed to cover the cost of activities.
Space: Facilities needed for activities (e.g., facility for professional development
sessions).
Technology/equipment: Any technology and/or equipment required in order to
undertake activities (e.g., computer hardware, software, printers, and copiers).
Materials/Other: Supplies or materials needed for activities (e.g., office supplies,
training materials).
Outputs
Outputs are the tangible and direct results of activities. While they help us evaluate how well we
are implementing the initiatives, they are not the changes we expect the initiatives to achieve.
They should, however, ultimately lead to desired outcomes. “An output statement doesn’t reveal
anything about quality.” You will assess the quality of your outputs in your evaluation.


VI.
Outputs should be linked to specific activities and resources.
Express outputs in terms of volume or units of services delivered or produced by
activities. For example:
o Number of students tutored and hours of tutoring service provided.
o Number of professional development sessions conducted, topics covered, and
number of school staff trained.
o Action plans developed.
o Number of leadership team meetings.
Outcomes
Outcome statements express the result(s) that our initiative intends to achieve if implemented as
planned. Outcomes are specific, attainable and measurable changes that we hope will take place
as a result of our initiative. It answers the question, “what difference did our initiative make?”
We should be able to measure the desired change at individual, group or organizational level by
measuring changes in knowledge, behavior, and/or condition.

Short-term Outcomes: What change do you expect to occur either immediately
or in the near future? Short-term outcomes are those that are the most direct result
of activities and outputs. They are typically not ends in themselves, but are
necessary steps toward desired ends (intermediate or long-term outcomes or
goals)
2


VII.
Intermediate Outcomes: What change do you want to occur after that?
Intermediate outcomes are those outcomes that link initiative’s short-term
outcomes to long-term outcomes.
Long-term Outcome: What change do you hope will occur and be sustained
over time? Long-term outcomes are those that result from the achievement of
your short- and intermediate-term outcomes. They are also generally outcomes
over which your program has a less direct influence. Often long-term outcomes
will occur beyond the timeframe you identified for your logic model.
Indicator/Data source
Indicators tell us when/if changes have occurred. When we develop our objectives we need to
ask ourselves the following questions.



How will we know when we have achieved our objectives?
What indicators will we look for to measure the progress and success of our initiative?
Are data to measure our progress and/or success readily available or do we need to
develop new measures, e.g., surveys, focus groups, etc…?
Logic Model Review
Once our logic model is complete, let’s take time to revisit and review our work and consider the
following questions:

Does our county/school have adequate resources to implement the activities and achieve
the desired outcomes? If you need further resources, is that reflected in your activities?

Have we included all the major activities needed to implement our program and achieve
expected outcomes? Would the activities list enable someone who is unfamiliar with our
program to understand its scope?

Have we expressed our outcomes in terms of change? Have we identified who/what will
experience that change, and over what time period?

Do activities, outputs, and short- and long-term outcomes relate to each other logically
(the “if-then” relationship), and collectively do they relate to the corresponding objective
and the overall goal?

Does our logic model clearly identify the scope of our initiative’s influence?
3