Program Logic
What is Program Logic?
Program logic is an approach to planning and design. Represented as a diagram or matrix, program logic shows a series of expected consequences, not just a sequence of events. The resulting model shows the rationale behind a program/ project or strategy - what are understood to be the cause-and-effect relationships between activities, outputs, intermediate outcomes and ultimate outcomes. In the international literature this tool is usually referred to as ‘program logic’. However, program logic can be applied at project, program or even strategy level.
The concept of program logic has been applied since the 1970s, particularly in international aid programs. Since then it has been used in many different disciplines in a variety of formats.
We believe that program logic is best used in a participatory manner and is noted for enabling groups to come to consensus about the realistic outcomes and goals. Ideally, program logic is mapped out before implementation and then modified and referred to throughout the life of an initiative. However, it can be conducted later on in the life of an initiative to help bring it back on track, or to form a key part of the evaluation framework.
We often document logic models in Doview, which is a specialist software just for documenting your logic model! Designed by Paul Dougan. We recommend it!
Developing program logic can be a confrontational yet mind-opening process. Some organisations greatly benefit from using it to focus their work. Some have said that it has caused them to change the way they think - the way they plan new projects and the way they question things. Some groups take their logic model into the very heart of their work. For example, after spending considerable time developing the model together, one group proudly laminated their model and placed in on the table at every meeting. They even gave it a ‘pet’ name reflecting its shape. During meetings they referred to parts of the model, and frequently used the language of the model to talk about the impact they were aiming to achieve.
Having a clear program logic can help in several ways:
- It can form a powerful tool in strategic planning
- It can provide a ‘canvas’ from which to have discussions about where to invest
- It can help groups gain a more fully shared understanding of how they believe change is likely to occur in their context
- It can help groups identify the gaps in their initial design and decide how to fill these gaps
- It can help groups identify a series of expected results, which can be the key to an effective monitoring and evaluation framework
- It can form the conceptual basis for any monitoring and evaluation framework
- It can provide a structure with which to organise an evaluation report, or even a whole evidence database
What does Clear Horizon offer?
Clear Horizon consultants are all expert logic facilitators - it is probably the thing we do most frequently. Collectively we must have run hundreds of logic workshops over the last 10 years. We use several different types of program logic such as our generic results hierarchy, our ‘people-centred logic approach’, and sometimes we use logical frameworks. In some sectors we apply a context specific logic such as in Natural Resource Management and research and development. Jess has also delved into the world of realistic evaluation, and have applied Pawson and Tilley’s work using ‘context-outcome-configurations’.
