Welcome back!

In video two, we will be discussing Logic Models and what this tool can be used for.

Logic Models are used to clarify and depict an idea or project, help clarify your implementation strategy, track and monitor operations to better manage your results, promote buy in among internal and external stakeholders - just to note, a stakeholder is a party that has an interest in a company or organization and can either affect or be affected by the business - and finally, Logic Models provide the basis for your program evaluation.

In simple terms, Logic Models take your organization or project and put it down on a piece of paper. They outline your Problem Statement, your Rationale, your Mission Statement, Assumptions, your Resources, Activities, Outputs, and finally, the Outcomes of your project or idea.

To review, in video one we learned how to create a Problem Statement, a compelling problem that your idea or project addresses, and a Mission Statement, the goal or overall purpose of your project.

Now we will discuss two new terms: Rationale and Assumptions. Rationale backs up your Problem Statement. It is the facts and the logical basis that support that your problem is indeed a problem in the eyes of others. Assumptions are your own informed opinions as to why your solution will, in fact, address the problem.

As you can see here, this is part one of the Logic Model for the Melody Movement. We have outlined our problem statement first, which is, “Displaced migrants face significant stresses on their mental health.” This section of the Logic Model is followed by Rationale, which again supports your problem statement. They are facts and logical basis supporting that your problem is actually a compelling problem. I won't read that for you since it is long! And then moving on to page two, you will see our Mission Statement outlined. Again, it is, “Improving the mental of migrants by sharing and exchanging music between diverse communities.”

Followed by Assumptions, again, “Our informed opinion about why our solution will solve the problem that we have identified.” Some of our assumptions are: community music making provides a sense, purpose and belonging, sharing and exchanging music from different cultures creates an environment of understanding and cultural communication, etc.

Identifying the available resources for your program can help you determine the extent to which you can actually implement your project and also achieve your goals and outcomes. Examples of resources include Staff, HR, technology, space (like an office building or concert hall), violins, other instruments, etc.

As you can see, some Melody Movement resources are the Vision Collective and everything that the organization has to offer, Government, Host Communities, Administration and Staff at Refugee Settlements, Local Hospitals and Health Centers, Psychologists working in settlements, etc.

If you intend to raise additional resources for your project during its lifespan, account for them under Activities. The only exception to this guideline would be if you building the logic model as part of a proposal or to justify a funding request. Though we will not be discussing grant writing in this video series. A Logic Model is a tool that you can share with future funders. It is essentially a compilation of all of the information that you would ever need to fulfill a grant application.

In the case that you are using a Logic Model to justify a funding request, list of the required Resources for a successful program indicating what you need and what you currently have in the Resources section. Activities are the actions that are needed to implement your project, and they are usually driven by the resources that you have access to. Example, activities include concerts, workshops, fund development, Board cultivation, etc.

It is important to remember that this is not a to-do list and in fact, listing too many activities sometimes overwhelm your stakeholders and donors. You only need to list what is needed and it can be helpful to group things together so that you can as concise as possible.

Outputs are the measurable direct results of program activities. They are not outcomes though. They themselves are not the changes that you expect your project to produce. Outputs should be expressed in terms of the size and scope of the activity. And in fact, they often include quantities. Examples are numbers of rehearsals, hours spent in a given activity and amount of funds raised. Outcomes express the results that your project intends to achieve if implemented and executed as planned.

On the Logic Model, they are separated normally into three categories: short-term, intermediate, and long-term.

Outcomes should represent the results or impacts that occur because of a project's activities services. They should be within the scope of the program's control or sphere of reasonable influence, as well as the time frame that you have chosen for your Logic Model. They should be generally accepted as valid by various stakeholders of the program. They should be phrased in terms of change, and most importantly, they should be measurable. Outcomes are the changes that occur or the difference that is made for individuals, groups, families, organizations, system, or communities during and/or after your project.

Now we will look at part two of the Melody Movement Logic Model.

As you will see it titled here, Theory of Change, the terms Logic Models and Theory of Change are actually interchangeable, though Theory of Change most commonly refers to the Activities, Outputs, and Outcomes sections of the Model.

As you will see here on this Theory of Change, there are five bullet points in each section, so one activity corresponds to one output, one short-term outcome, and one long-term outcome. In this particular Model, I have omitted the intermediate outcomes just for space reasons.

I'll take one example. o if we look at our musical meetings, which is the second bullet, the output for those meetings is “5 musical meetings a week, where migrants can make and share music together.” Again, we have that number five, which is very important for our output.

The short-term outcome of the musical meetings is, “Migrants will attend musical meetings, come with music to share, and connect with other participants through music-making.”

The long-term outcome is “Quality of life and mental health will improve for migrants.” We hope that through connecting with others and making music together that they will have improved mental health over time.

In this video, you learned how to create your own Logic Model, and also, the many ways in which you can use this tool. Next time, join me for a Q&A, where we will discuss more questions and answers about Community Engagement Project Development.