Section Overview

This section will help you understand what we see as the real value of logic models – how the connections and linkages depict the assumed causal relationships in your program. Logic models are not just about inputs, outputs and outcomes that get placed in their respective bins, columns, or boxes. The power of logic models in planning, implementation, and evaluation is how the input-outputs-outcomes fit together, connect, and relate in order to achieve desired end results.

Section Goal

When you complete this section, you will understand that a logic model depicts the reasoning – the logic – of a program. This logic is the program’s theory of change and you will follow this logic as you move through the creation of your logic model. More specifically, you will:

1. Understand that a theory of change represents a series of if-then relationships, or causal linkages.
2. Appreciate the necessity for identifying and exploring all possible connections in the program action.
3. Understand how the linkages you create reflect your theory of change.
4. Be able to draw the causal connections for a focused program example.

Section Outline

You can use this outline to move through the topics in this section.

1. Linkages– Theory of Action
2. What is Theory of Change?
3. If-then relationships
4. Let’s practice! If-then relationships
5. Multiple chains and directional flows
6. Let’s practice! Check the linkages
7. Where does Program Theory of Change come from?
8. Section summary

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