Quality Improvement

Logic Model Basics

"What difference are you making? How do you know it? What is the value of your program?" Do these questions sound familiar? Are they questions you are being asked?  The logic model helps us design results-based programs and have data to answer important questions. This course has 7 sections. We start with a basic, simple concept and add to it over the various sections to provide a thorough foundation in the use of logic models. Each section contains many useful resources and activities. We hope you will explore them fully.

A note to users of this PDF document:

This document is a static, printable version of an interactive, online course available at:

http://www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/

This document serves two groups of learners:

1. Those with limited internet access (either due to cost or time) who want a version of the course that can be downloaded and used offline.

2. Those who want a printed version for reading and taking notes while working through the online course, or as a stand alone learning tool.

We have attempted to make the PDF file easy to navigate and use, but it will not replicate the interactive experience that an online user would have.

New Resource for TalkingQuality Users: Toolkit for Making Written Material Clear and Effective

Written by Jeanne McGee for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Toolkit provides a detailed and comprehensive set of tools to help you make written material in printed formats easier for people to read, understand, and use. This resource is referenced throughout the TalkingQuality site. It provides valuable guidance on

• Developing clear, effective and well-organized written materials. Learn more at http://talkingquality.ahrq.gov/content/learnmore/tips/tip2.aspx.
• Learning about design and working with design professionals. Learn more at http://talkingquality.ahrq.gov/content/learnmore/tips/resourcebasic.aspx.
• Testing your materials with your audience. Learn more at
  http://talkingquality.ahrq.gov/content/learnmore/tips/tip7.aspx.

The complete toolkit is available at http://www.cms.gov/WrittenMaterialsToolkit/.

Contact Us:  talkingquality@ahrq.gov

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Visit TalkingQuality at https://www.talkingquality.ahrq.gov/.

Regarding composition of the teams, one critical difference between two types of teams will be the perspectives of the stakeholders. For the Strategic Evaluation Planning Team: · The stakeholders you engage should be the people who “think big picture” and are able to contribute in a meaningful way to discuss why a state asthma program is needed. · This team may include representatives of key partner and constituent groups, and members of this group may be involved with crafting the state plan and making decisions regarding the overall approach to addressing asthma in your state. · The primary product of the work conducted by this team is the Strategic Evaluation Plan as well as any updates to this plan. For the Individual Evaluation Planning Teams: · Include people directly engaged with the process/activity/product that is the focus of the evaluation. This team should be chosen to reflect the specific program knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to design a specific evaluation. · This team may, but does not need, to include one or more members of your strategic evaluation planning team. · These stakeholders should include those directly involved in operations or day-to-day administration and may also include recipients of the service or product. It is important to have one or more individuals on this team who are in the position to make enhancements or improvements, if indicated by the evaluation findings. · The primary product of this team is an Individual Evaluation Plan that refines and builds upon the general information provided in the evaluation profiles included in the Strategic Evaluation Plan. Some individuals on the evaluation planning team may also participate in implementing parts of the evaluation (e.g., collecting data, analyzing data, interpreting and sharing findings). As the evaluator, you will manage the feedback loop between the strategic evaluation plan and the individual evaluation plans. You will oversee how the strategic evaluation plan is implemented via the individual evaluation plans as well as how information from the individual evaluation planning process and the findings from those evaluations are used to revise the strategic evaluation plan. For example, based on their perspectives and information needs, the individual evaluation teams may try to steer the evaluation in a direction that would not meet the longer-term needs identified by the strategic planning group. In this instance, you may have to work with both teams to reconcile their visions for the evaluation. Similarly, the individual evaluations may identify new big-picture evaluation questions that the strategic evaluation planning team should consider. Providing frequent updates to all of your evaluation stakeholders, particularly those on the planning teams, will ensure that others can help you in your role as evaluation facilitator and negotiator. These updates need not always be formal or detailed; they merely need to keep stakeholders who are contributing their time and expertise “in the loop”. Updates also serve as an opportunity to acknowledge and thank participants for their contributions.