A Simple but Effective LogFrame: And a Guide to its Use.
Purpose of the Guide
The purpose of this Guide is to outline the use of a simple LogFrame to assist in designing effective projects. The Guide contains easy to follow
steps ………………
Who should use the Guide
Anyone who is planning a project will find the guide useful. It assists in gaining agreement amongst the proponents of a project about the
purpose of the project and the best ways to achieve the desired outcomes of the project.
The Guide has been created with community groups in mind, but can be used by individuals, businesses or government agencies. It is useful for
anyone who:



is planning to propose a project for funding;
has the resources available and simply wishes to ensure the project is effective in meeting its goals; or
wants to ensure that the final evaluation will show the project to have been effective.
What is a LogFrame
Two types of project people
Commonly, there are two types of people involved in planning a project.
The “Thinker” wants to ask all the hard questions before anything happens:
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

What are we actually trying to achieve?
How do we know what we plan to do will work?
What about all the things that could go wrong?

Is this something we actually want to be doing?
Some of these thinkers might be visionaries, while others may be cynics. There is a useful role for all types of thinking folk in project planning.
The ‘Doer” wants some action:


Let’s get on with it!
We shouldn’t be spending time talking when this problem is so urgent!
Theory of change
a theory of change refers to the causal processes through which change comes about as a result of a program's strategies and action.[1] It relates to how
practitioners believe individual, intergroup, and social/ systemic change happens and how, specifically, their actions will produce positive results.
Everyone who is planning a project has a theory of change – even if they have not articulated it or written it down. Everyone has an idea that
the things they propose to do in their project will produce some beneficial change. And they might be correct …. But we cant’t know for sure.
Expressing the theory of change allows the project proponents (ideally more than one person) to examine their own thinking and test the
assumptions they are making. It’s a great place for the black hats, doubters, cynics and wet blanket folk to come into their own
This creates a set of connected outcomes known as a ãpathway of changeä. A ãpathway of changeä graphically represents the change
process as it is understood by the initiative planners and is the skeleton around which the other elements of the theory are developed.
Surfacing assumptions within the Theory of Change
types of assumptions to consider: (a) assertions about the connections between long term, intermediate and early outcomes on the map; (b)
substantiation for the claim that all of the important preconditions for success have been identified; and (c) justifications supporting the links
between program activities and the outcomes they are expected to produce. A fourth type of assumption which outlines the contextual or
environmental factors that will support or
Problem definition
backwards mapping requiring planners to think in backwards steps from the long-term goal to the intermediate and then early-term changes that
would be required to cause the desired change.
We want to do something
because
Our strategy to address
this problem is
So that
So that
Who needs to be involved
- partners?
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have a partnership?
(Monitoring)
What is it that you will
do? (activities)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have completed the
activity? (Monitoring)
What will you achieve?
(outputs = tangible
products or events)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have produced the
output? (monitoring)
What will you achieve?
(outcomes = changes in
the situation or
behaviour)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have produced the
outcome? (Monitoring)
If we produce these
OUTCOMES then we will
provide this LEGACY …..
5 Whys
The technique was originally developed by Sakichi Toyoda and was later used within Toyota Motor Corporation during the evolution of their
manufacturing methodologiesFive Whys is the Japanese philosophy of repeatedly asking why to find not only the direct sources of your
problems, but also the root of those sources. It's about thinking long-term and looking both ahead and behind, not just in the present
The method known as “5-Whys” is an analysis method used to dig below the outward
symptoms of a problem in order to find its real root cause.
The method involves asking "Why … ?" five times in succession. This can sound
deceptively simple, but requires intelligent application in order to find the right Why?
Question to ask, and the discipline and persistence to follow the method.
The answer to one question leads you to ask the next Why…? Question, although it may
not always be possible to answer the next question immediately. You may need to
gather and analyse more information in order to answer it properly, or do more thinking
and brainstorming. By the time you get to the fourth or fifth Why…? you are almost
invariably looking straight at management practices as opposed to mere symptoms.
Define the problem:
Why is it happening?
Why is that?
Why is that?
Why is that?
This creates a set of connected outcomes known as a ãpathway of changeä. A ãpathway of changeä graphically represents the change
process as it is understood by the initiative planners and is the skeleton around which the other elements of the theory are developed.
Surfacing assumptions within the Theory of Change
types of assumptions to consider: (a) assertions about the connections between long term, intermediate and early outcomes on the map; (b)
substantiation for the claim that all of the important preconditions for success have been identified; and (c) justifications supporting the links
between program activities and the outcomes they are expected to produce. A fourth type of assumption which outlines the contextual or
environmental factors that will support or
Long-Term Employment at Livable
Wage for Domestic Violence
Survivors
Women serve
internships
Women attend
training about
expectations in
the workplace
Employers are
educated as to
how to use
interns
Women attend
training classes in
non-traditional
skills
Counseling and
practical support
for crises
Survivors attend
peer-to-peer
cousneling
Survivors know
how to get help
and deal with
their issues
Survivors attain
coping skills
Survivors know
and have
appropriate
workplace
behavior
Survivors have
marketable skills
in non-traditional
jobs
http://www.theoryofchange.org/process/example.html
ActKnowledge
We want to do something
because
Our strategy to address
this problem is
So that
So that
Who needs to be involved
- partners?
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have a partnership?
(Monitoring)
So that
So that
What is it that you will
do? (activities)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have completed the
activity? (Monitoring)
If we conduct these ACTIVITIES and the risks are addressed, then we will produce these OUTPUTS …
What will you achieve?
(outputs = tangible
products or events)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
How will we know we
have produced the
output? (monitoring)
If we produce these OUTPUTS and the risks are addressed, then we will produce these OUTCOMES …
What will you achieve?
(outcomes = changes in
the situation or
behaviour)
What could go wrong?
(risks)
(What
assumptions have we
made?)
How we will reduce the
risk?
If we produce these OUTCOMES then we will provide this LEGACY …..
How will we know we
have produced the
outcome? (Monitoring)
We want to do
something
because
Our strategy to
address this
problem is
So that
So that
The Focusing Question is : How can we engage the community and mobilise its citizens to effective action through an educational and m
Who needs to be
involved partners?
What could go
wrong? (risks)
(What assumptions
have we made?)
How we will
reduce the
risk?
How will we know we have a partnership? (Monitoring)
Funding and in-kind support is offered
One or more schools engage via:
* teacher/parent course attendance
* initiation of school-based projects
* involving other citizen/groups
Involvement of key people in providing information, participating in the course or presenting and participation in flow on initiatives Activity
records/survey
Individual businesses and their chambers of commerce positively engage, provide trustworthy information on their services and join in lo
economy focused projects
Key influencers take positive view of the project and facilitate support and any required approvals for spin-off projects. (Activity records)
What is it that you
will do? (activities)
What could go
wrong? (risks)
(What assumptions
have we made?)
How we will
reduce the
risk?
How will we know we have completed the activity? (Monitoring)
* The number of groups identified
* The number of key influencers identified
* The quality and completeness of local data assembled
*Monitoring the numbers of the right people committed to work with the design and delivery of the course
* Feedback from a range of stakeholders on design of course and promotion
* Reference back to design objectives and principles
* The program matches design
* Enrollments numbers monitored
* Confirmation of venues
* Materials checklists
* Confirmation of speakers
* Communication with enrollees
Attendance records.
Participant feedback sheets.
If we conduct these ACTIVITIES and the risks are addressed, then we will produce these OUTPUTS …
What will you
achieve? (outputs
= tangible products
or events)
What could go
wrong? (risks)
(What assumptions
have we made?)
How we will
reduce the
risk?
How will we know we have produced the output? (monitoring)
6
6
6
If we produce these OUTPUTS and the risks are addressed, then we will produce these OUTCOMES …
What will you
achieve?
(outcomes =
changes in the
situation or
behaviour)
What could go
wrong? (risks)
(What assumptions
have we made?)
How we will
reduce the
risk?
How will we know we have produced the outcome? (Monitoring)
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
If we produce these OUTCOMES then we will provide this LEGACY …..
How will the
project lead to ongoing activity?
What could go
wrong? (risks)
How we will
reduce the
risk?
How will we know we have produced the output?