Developing a Logic Model

A logic model for overdose anomaly response acts like a blueprint to ensure rapid, coordinated, and effective action when spikes occur. Build the logic model into your response plan to ensure accountability and continuous improvement in your anomaly response planning.
What is a Logic Model?
How do Logic Models help in evaluation?
What information is included in a Logic Model?
Example Logic Models for Overdose Monitoring and Response

A logic model is a graphic depiction of the high-level flow of resources and processes required for producing the results, products, or outcomes of an organization, program, or plan. Typically, logic models are one or two pages and depict how the activities of an intervention produce the intended outcomes and impacts. The level of detail required in a logic model is sufficient to describe the idea or concept but should not reference other documents or require extensive cross-comparison between multiple pages.

A logic model's usefulness and validity are significantly enhanced by its collaborative development, as this process creates shared understanding, uncovers underlying assumptions, refines program concepts, and ensures the model is relevant and accepted by all key partners, thereby strengthening program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

When logic models are used as a tool in evaluation, they present the shared relationships among resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes/impacts of a program. A logic model depicts the relationship between a program’s activities and its intended effects. Logic models help to provide clarity about a program, identify resources to improve a program, determine the sequence of activities and corresponding outcomes, and are the basis of program evaluation.

Assumptions

All models are based on a set of assumptions. These are usually both internal and external to your program or plan. The relationships of the elements in the logic model and the corresponding success are built upon the premise of the research, theories, and knowledge these assumptions are based on.

Activities

Activities are what a program or plan does with the inputs to fulfill the goals and objectives of the program or plan.

External Factors

External factors are variables which may have effects on the program or plan but cannot be changed, managed, or controlled by the stakeholders, managers, or participants of the program or plan, such as the effects of COVID-19.

Outputs

Outputs are the tangible products or services produced by the program or plan activities.

Inputs

Inputs are resources, funding, staff, and other elements provided which contribute to the success of the program or plan.

Outcomes

Outcomes are the intended effects of a program or plan. They are typically short-term, intermediate, or long-term and are linked to the outputs and activities in the logic model. Types of outcomes may include changes in knowledge, attitudes, or beliefs or behaviors; they may also include changes to policies, systems, or environments.

1. Examples of Community-and State-level Logic Models for Addressing Opioid-related Overdose Deaths

2. Implementing Overdose Prevention Strategies at the Local Level Logic Model 

3. Riverside Overdose Data to Action Evaluation Brief 

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