5
Now that we have gone over the basic approaches to practice evaluation with groups, we need to introduce a tool used in many social work organizations, the logic model. So far, you have read about goals and objectives as well as process and outcome measures. Many times, social welfare organizations use what are called ‘logic models’ to pull goals, objectives and measures together.
These logic models focus on one particular program serving a group of clients with particular needs. Logic models are not, however, used for individual client tracking. A primary function of the logic model is to map out the process of a program, to inform practice evaluation.
Versatile in nature, logic models can be used for more than planning practice evaluation. Indeed, these models can be used to design a new program or track the implementation (i.e. putting into place) a new program. Alternately, logic models can be used to map out a program so it can be explained to a new social workers, to facilitate the engagement of program funders or for communicating with other organizational stakeholders. To sum it up, viewing a logic model can help people to see how the various elements of a program fit together, culminating in how success is measured at the outcome stage.
Logic models come in many different formats and designs. Below, in figure 5.1, we present a common format for logic models in social work-related organizations. After clearly stating the goals and objectives, the organization can document program inputs, activities and outputs as well as outcome measures in the short, medium or long-term.
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Figure 5.1 Example of a logic model template
In a logic model, inputs should be understood as the individual types of investments that are made into a program. Often inputs include finances, hours worked, or space donated. Activities document what actions the organization takes and to whom those activities are targeted.
Outputs are the specific items that are monitored in this process. And as for outcome measures, we figure you are up to speed on what those are by this point! Some people consider short- and medium-term measures as outcomes, whereas long-term measures are impacts. Also, while the template noted in Figure 5.1 only has two outcome measures, there is no rule saying you can’t use more measures than that!
In order to get a sense of how a logic model works, let’s go back to our mental health social worker who works to improvement of mental health symptoms for her clients (see Figure 5.2).
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Figure 5.2 Logic model template for evaluating an outpatient mental health center
As you will recall, our social worker broke down that clinical goal into measurable objectives, including level of anxiety, and frequency of irritability. Each of these objectives could be measured during the process of the therapeutic intervention in order to track the client’s progress but could also be looked at or after the client completed treatment, this time as outcome measures. The purpose of collecting process information is different than the purpose of collecting outcome information even if the measures are the same.
Now that we have walked through a logic model focused on clinical practice, let’s look at our community organizing example in order to support those of you that are doing macro social work (see Figure 5.3).
If we think back to the previous chapters, we recall that the improvement of community pride is the city’s goal in hiring a social worker to do community organizing. However, our social worker recognized the need to develop measurable objectives that together make up that goal. In this instance, the objectives include collection of information on whether citizens’ intention to remain in the community remains stable or whether citizens felt pride in their local park.
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Figure 5.3 Example of a logic model template for evaluating a community organizing project
In summary, logic models are helpful tools for understanding how all the parts of a program fit together. Useful as an orienting device, logic models can also assist in engaging program funders towards the goal of continued funding. Many social workers will never need to make a logic model, but they should know how to interpret logic models about their own programs.
Discussion questions for chapter 5:
- How does research design relate to logic modeling?
- Explain the difference between an output and an outcome.
- Describe the various uses of a logic model for a social work organization.
- What might a logic model look like for the program you are working/interning in?
- Let’s say you are evaluating a social and emotional skills learning program for 3rd graders. You want to identify your inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts. Identify each from the list, below:
- Improved scores in social and emotional skills
- Grant funding for your social and emotional skills project
- Number of students who engaged in social and emotional learning project
- Using the talking stick activity as a way to teach about social and emotional skills.
