Actionable Logic Models to Guide Large-Scale Implementation and Evaluation Efforts: An Obvious Idea but What Does It Look like in Practice?

Researchers and evaluators have emphasized the importance of logic models or theories of change to guide implementation and evaluation of prevention efforts. With increasing emphasis on evidence-based models, and research pointing to the need for community-wide or societal models to make public health impacts, funders are requiring the development of such logic models. Although well intentioned, logic models completed as an exercise by the research team are not always operationalized and communicated to project implementers in ways that can effectively guide their activities and actions. In this interactive session, researchers and practitioners representing perspectives from prevention science, psychology, sociology, public health, and criminology will share the nuanced ways in which grounded, actionable, feasible, and relevant models have guided (or not guided) implementation and evaluation efforts with which they’ve been involved.

First, researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder will discuss a National Institute of Justice funded comprehensive model called Safe Communities Safe Schools, being implemented and evaluated within a 36-school randomized controlled trial. Second, researchers from the American Institutes for Research will describe the logic model and framework, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, guiding the implementation and evaluation of a five-year effort to develop infrastructure and capacity to prevent youth violence through local health departments. Third, researchers from Penn State University will describe the model used to promote the scale-up of nearly 300 evidence-based programs in Pennsylvania, and attempts to replicate the model in other states and countries. Fourth, researchers from the University of South Carolina will describe a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation effort, SCALE involving 30 communities across the country in approaches to accelerate the pace at which these communities move towards achieving better health. Fifth, researchers from ACF/OPRE will discuss the implementation and evaluation of evidence-based efforts to reduce the impact of trauma and improve the well-being of youth and their families.

To encourage deeper, critical thinking about using logic models to bridge the research-to-practice gap, the presenters will engage the audience in discussions about questions including:

1. Who should rate whether a logic model is grounded, actionable, feasible and relevant? Researchers, practitioners, or clients? What processes can be used to communicate between these groups? How should that information be used?
2. Why aren’t researchers and practitioners sharing logic models? How can we promote this?
3. How can evaluation findings or experiential evidence be used to refine models versus determining a model isn’t “effective”?