Logframes or logical framework -what is it?
Completing the Logistical Framework (Logframe)
Logistical framework is a table that helps you to understand what you are planning to do (or are doing) and how to do your related Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Lots of organisations use this and so its useful to understand it. You may or may not decide to draw one up for your project, but it can be very helpful to put all the information together.
For a Permaculture Project with multiple goals, potential impacts, outcomes activities this traditional logframe can be daunting.
For this reason, it might be best to draw up the Logframe after you have designed the overall M&E plan (see Designing your MEL)
It is easier to start with one prioritised goal of your project and work on that part of your Theory of Change (ToC). You may like to look at multiple goals with focus on a very key indicator for each goal or a more comprehensive logframe for a more focused impact.
Once you have established your ToC, and designed your MEL plan, you can enter the planned activities related to outputs, outcomes and goals for each of the activities into a logframe. The logframe is a useful tool to help plan for activities and also to identify how you will assess whether or not your project has achieved these. The logframe contains most of the same information as the ToC but is arranged in a table rather than a schematic. It also includes information on how you will carry out assessments and it details indicators.
For a small project you will not be able to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of all the outcomes so some prioritisation will be needed.
It is important that you consider who to include in a workshop or meeting to discuss the M&E plan- to include a range of stakeholders, including community members.
You can find videos explaining this and other aspects of Monitoring and Evaluation on this website. There is also an example of a completed logframe and M&E framework from ‘Tools4dev’ http://www.tools4dev.org/
Logical Framework (Logframe) Template
PROJECT SUMMARY | INDICATORS | MEANS OF VERIFICATION | RISKS / ASSUMPTIONS | |
Goal | ||||
Outcomes | ||||
Outputs | ||||
Activities |
- The project summary is what you are trying to achieve, for example, ‘dietary diversity of children aged 6 to 24 months is improved by 1 food group over a year’
- An Indicator is something you measure to assess whether your programme is successful. For example ‘dietary diversity score of children 6 to 24 months’. These indicators can be related to input, output, outcome or goal (impact) of your project. For the purpose of this guide we concentrate on outcome and goal (impact) indicators that relate to the ToC and to Nutrition. Suggested indicators are described in ‘Nutrition Indicators’
- Means of verification is a brief summary of how to measure the indicator- this will be expanded and defined more clearly in the M&E Framework exercise below.
- The risks and assumptions column covers a range of eventualities that could occur and if they do, would limit the achievement of the outcome. For example, ‘there is a crop failure’
Below is an example of a completed logframe from an education project. It is taken from tools4development with thanks.
Logical Framework (Logframe) Example
PROJECT SUMMARY | INDICATORS | MEANS OF VERIFICATION | RISKS / ASSUMPTIONS | |
Goal | 10% increase in the number of Grades 5-6 primary students continuing on to high school within 3 years. | Percentage of Grades 5-6 primary students continuing on to high school. | Comparison of primary and high school enrolment records. | N/A |
Outcome | Improve reading proficiency among children in Grades 5-6 by 20% within 3 years. | Reading proficiency among children in Grades 5-6 | Six monthly reading proficiency tests using the national assessment tool. | Improved reading proficiency provides self confidence required to stay in school. |
Outputs | 1. 500 Grade 5-6 students with low reading proficiency complete a reading summer camp | Number of students completing a reading summer camp. | Summer camp attendance records. | Children apply what they learnt in the summer camp. |
2. 500 parents of children in Grade 5-6 with low reading proficiency help their children read at home. | Number of parents helping their children to read at home. | Survey of parents conducted at the end of each summer camp. | Children are interested in reading with their parents. | |
Activities | 1. Run five reading summer camps, each with 100 Grades 5-6 students who have low reading proficiency. | Number of summer camps run. | Summer camp records. | Parents of children with low reading proficiency are interested in them attending the camps. |
2. Distribute 500 “Reading at Home” kits to parents of children attending summary camps. | Number of kits distributed. | Kit distribution records. | Parents are interested and able to use the kits at home. |