Some may question as they attempt to wrap their heads around the OLM, “Do we complete multiple outcome logic models?” Typically, you have one outcome logic model for the organization or the unit or department that were focusing on. The OLM could be for the whole organization, but if your organization is broken into departments, the OLM can be specific to that department. Departmental-level OLM can be combined into a larger strategic plan. When you’re composing an outcome logic model, it will grow according to the rows. You will have more rows modeling the complexity in the organization.
Another question concerns the difference between an OLM and a Goal-Logic-Table (GLT). These are the tables that are typically used in proposals to communicate the information flow involved in an intervention or program. That is the major difference. An OLM is meant to track the benefit flow from resources to outcomes. If you increase the resources, you should logically expect an increase in outcomes and increased impact. The GLT tracks information or evidence of the invention from intention to documentation. The goal logic table is about evidence and evaluation. Did you meet your goal? Why didn’t you meet your goal? What steps did you take to meet your goal?
The differences between OLM and GLT allow us to confirm some definitions of scope impacting the strategy of the organization. The OLM is primarily to outline ALL PROGRAMS of an organization. The GLT is a method of outlining the evaluation of a SINGLE project. Consider that this brings up a hierarchy that you may not be familiar with. Most of us think of goal, objectives, and outcomes. OLM and GLT expand that lexicon to flesh out a more intentional, logical progression of ideas. To reach an outcome, we begin with ideas/assumptions. Inputs are next. Activities, output, outcome, impacts follow in turn. These are the columns in an OLM. For the GLT, we excerpt activities and outcomes to develop an achievement evaluation in the following order: Goals, Objectives, Activities, Outcomes, and Tracking/Documentation.
Another conception for adoption is the relationship among elements in a hierarchy of activities. Goals create Programs. Programs are made up of Projects. Projects are accomplished through a set of Tasks. These tasks are also called activities.
For example, I create an OLM to outline the launch of my non-profit. It outlines multiple programs extending from the goals of the organization. The programs may have their own subset of the larger OLM. To create the logical connection between the goals, the project activities, and documentation, we create GLT. I create a GLT to write for a grant to fund one project. With the GLT, I can demonstrate to the funder 1) that the organization’s goals are directly tied to the project for which the funding is sought, and 2) that a specific mechanism is devised for capturing the data that is the basis for any reporting of progress.
