Using a logic model to relate the strategic to the tactical in program planning and evaluation

Since the 1970s, logic models have become a ubiquitous tool for specifying the implementation and evaluation tactics of public health interventions. Over a similar period of time, social norms interventions have become a common strategy, particularly in college settings, to address hazardous drinking and other dangerous or asocial behaviors. This paper illustrates an extension of logic models to include strategic as well as tactical components, using a specific example developed for social norms interventions. The presentation includes the specific stages of the logic model, as well as practical examples of the information necessary for each stage. While this presentation focuses on a strategic logic model for use in social norms interventions to decrease the adverse consequences associated with hazardous drinking by college students, the design offers a comprehensive approach to projects addressing any health or social issue in any setting. As programs are held to higher standards of accountability, this form of logic model not only can improve the efficiency of planning and internal communication, but also inform stakeholders and funders. Placing the evaluation of a project within the context of this kind of logic model can address issues related to the lack of a “true” research design to evaluate effectiveness of a given project. It represents a reasonable compromise between relying exclusively on evidence of effectiveness from the literature and expert testimony, on the one hand, and facing the cost-prohibitive challenge of implementing a formal research study, on the other hand.