Illogical frameworks... fixed by using

summarisersSteve Powell, steve@promente.org

pogol.net/steve

So many frameworks ....• Logic models• Results frameworks• Logframes • Etc

The basic links in logic models should be causal

Increased health

Increased wealthIncreased happiness

health

wealthhappiness

So what is wrong with this picture?• Manuals tell us: Parent – child links are only causal,

not categorical

Better teaching in grades 1-4

Better teaching in grades 5-8

Better teaching in whole school

But ... Often we need to summarise• What is „wrong“ with this picture?

Boys improve conflict resolution skills

Girls improve conflict resolution skills

Children improve conflict resolution skills

Training for boys

Training for girls

Training for teachers

Teachers improve conflict resolution

skills

Less classroom conflict

But ... Often we need to summariseWhat is „wrong“ with this picture?

... But we need to structure our plan like this

Outcome 1.A

Outcome 1.B

Conflict-free schools in North Region

Output 1.A.1

Output 1.A.2 Conflict-free

schools in the whole country

Outcome 2.A

Outcome 2.B

Conflict-free schools in South Region

Output 2.A.1

Output 2.A.2

Solution• Accept and encourage the use of summarisers to

join variables by definition, not causation • Two ways to present the same idea – dotted lines

and boxes

More creative schools in the whole country

2: More creative schools

in South Region

1: More creative schools

in North Region

Variant 1: use boxes instead• Instead of arrows from 1.A and 1.B to 1, they are

contained in it

Outcome 1.A

Outcome 1.B

Output 1.A.1

Output 1.A.2

Outcome 2.A

Outcome 2.B

Output 2.A.1

Output 2.A.2

Variant 2: just dotted lines

Lines are sometimes more convenient than boxes, especially when they have causal children themselves. Same logic as boxes, just different appearanceEach green „join“ is a rule which establishes the level of the child variable on the basis of the parent variablesBut for the dotted join, the rule is true by definition

Boys improve conflict resolution skills

Girls improve conflict resolution skills

Children improve conflict resolution skills

Training for boys

Training for girls

Training for teachers

Teachers improve conflict resolution

skills

Less classroom conflict

Do summarisers have indicators?• Answer: sort of ..., but their „indicators“ can be

constructed from the indicators of their parent variables – using the rule which joins the child with its parents• Ever wasted time trying to think up indicators for

„higher-level“ variables which are actually summarisers??

Boys improve conflict resolution skills

Girls improve conflict resolution skills

Children improve conflict resolution skills

Causal diagrams don‘t need to be hierarchical at all any more!• Hierarchical structures are very useful for project

organisation and reporting• So that is why so many logic models end up being

almost-hierarchical – because we have two confusingly similar but separate needs for structure in logic models:• Hierarchy for organisation and reporting: use

summarisers (dotted links or boxes)!• Causal links for theory of change: use ordinary arrows!

Big claim• Nearly every logic model has at least one link

between variables which is presented as causal but is actually definitional or summarising• This causes endless headaches, e.g. Having to dream up

extra indicators where none are needed

• Worst case, but very common: links which are a vague, poisonous mix of definitional and causal

Boys improve conflict resolution skills

Girls improve conflict resolution skills

Schools are better at conflict resolution

The „higher“ illusion• Another kind of frequent problem• Here, the parent variables do not cause the „strategic

goal“, they just fall under it, they are examples of it.• The definition is intensional, not extensional. That is

OK• But if we aren‘t clear about this, it looks like our

mundane projects cause something grand

Communities complete multi-ethnic small

grants projects

Schools complete multi-ethnic „anti-

stereotype“ training

Strategic goal: Regional peacebuilding

Conclusion• Suggestion: when making a logic model, see if there

are places where you should be using summarisers (dotted links or boxes) rather than causal links