Illogical frameworks
-
Upload
steve-powell -
Category
Documents
-
view
146 -
download
0
Transcript of Illogical frameworks
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