Lecture 6 (Oct 3) Flashcards
The Black Box Problem
Often (despite evidence) not details re: how
policy effect is intended to occur
* e.g. Nutrition labelling as obesity policy
response – but what are the mechanisms of
action?
* They are NOT the intervention per se, but the
response(s) the intervention generates
What is a logic model?
“A logic model represents the chain of expected
effects that link a public policy to a health
problem it aims to solve. It goes beyond the
question “Does it work?” to gain a better
understanding of how it works, i.e., how the policy being studied is meant to operate.”
What is a logic model?
- “Theory of change”
- Visual re: how a program is structured that shows:
▪ planned work and your intended results
▪ The rationale behind the program’s service delivery approach (i.e.,
its goals)
▪ The key elements of a program (i.e., its activities and resources)
and expected outcomes and how they can be measured - The cause-and-effect relationships between the
program and its intended results. - Helps to identify the core elements of an evaluation
strategy
What does a basic program logic model look like? In Forward logic model (you can work backwards)
Evaluation
Inputs
Activities
Outputs
Short-term outcomes
intermediate outcomes
Long term outcomes
—- Feedback loop
Contextual Conditions
Certain resources are needed to operate your program
Resources (inputs)
If you have access to to them, then you can use them to accomplish your planned
activities
In practice we often use both _____ and _____ logic models
Forward and backward
If you accomplish your planned activities, then you will hopefully deliver the amount of product and or service that you intended
Outputs
If you accomplish your planned activities to the extent you intended, then your participants will benefit in certain ways
Outcomes
If these benefits to participants are acheived, then certain changes in organization, communities, or systems might be expected to occur
Impact
Integration of evidence international factors
Globalization of markets
Industrialization
Media programs and marketing
National/ regional factors involved in the integration of evidence
Education policies
Transportation policies
Urban Planning policies
Health-care policies
Food policies
Family policies
Cultural policies
Economic policies
Community/locality factors
Public transportation
Public Safety
Urban Planning
Availability and accessibility of food
media and marketing
Income
Individual factors
Employment
travel Leisure
Sports
Food
Body image
Genetics
Energy expenditure
Food intake
Population factors
Prevalence of weight-related problems : Obesity and excessive weight preoccupation
Inputs
Processes, techniques, tools, events,
technology, and actions of the planned program
Activities
Processes, techniques, tools, events,
technology, and actions of the planned
program.
– Products – promotional and educational material
– Services – education and training, counseling, or
health screening
– Infrastructure – structure, relationships, and
capacity used to bring about the desired results.
Contextual Conditions (or mediators)
- Resources and/or barriers, which potentially
enable or limit program effectiveness. - Protective factors or resources may include
funding, partners, staff, time, etc. - Limiting risk factors or barriers include such
things as attitudes, lack of resources, policies,
laws, regulations, and geography
Outputs
- direct results of program activities
- size and/or scope of the services and products
delivered or produced by the program. - delivered to the intended audiences at the
intended “dose?” - e.g. number of classes taught, meetings held,
materials produced and distributed, program
participation rates and demography.
Outcomes/ Impacts
- specific changes in attitudes, behaviors,
knowledge, skills, status, or level of
functioning - organizational, community, and/or system
level changes expected to result from program
activities
– improved conditions, increased capacity, and/or
changes in the policy arena.
Backwards logic
- Start with desired outcomes and work
backwards from there to develop activities
and inputs
Forward logic:
- Start by identifying inputs and activities
- Move forward by asking “why” of each stage
in the logic model (i.e. “if – then”)
Benefits of logic models?
- Stakeholder understanding of purpose, resources,
activities and ability to effect change - Reference point
- Used for monitoring progress
- Identifying/prioritizing questions to ask in
evaluation - Identifying external factors that can facilitate or
hinder a program - Integrate planning and evaluation
- Articulate causal links
Are resources adequate to implement program to implement program is
inputs
Is program implemented as planned?
Activities
How many, how much was produced? Is an indicator of the
Outputs
Change in knowledge, policy, environment?
Short-term outcomes
Change in system behaviour? Is an indicator of
Intermediate Outcomes
Change in health status? Is an indicator of
Long term outcomes
Change in population health status? is an indicator of
Impacts
