Key Elements
A logic model is a widely used planning tool that can help with conservation outreach planning and strategic development. This approach links activities—the things you do in your outreach with farmers, ranchers, and other stakeholders—with your conservation goals. This worksheet introduces the elements of the Logic Model so you can better understand how to think of the change process that links actions with impacts.
Inputs
These are your available resources you can use in your outreach. These could include financial resources, tools, personnel, and facilities. Perhaps some of the most valuable inputs are farmers in your community who can authentically communicate the benefits of using conservation practices.
Activities
This is all the programming actions you take, including events, field days, 1-on-1 contacts, communications, and social media. The activities you engage in are a key in outreach, yet in the logic model approach, you do not to begin your planning process with activities. Rather, let your planned activities flow from your desired impacts and outcomes.
Outputs
These are the immediate results of your activities that reflect the extent of implementation. In most cases with outreach, your desired outputs will be farmer and stakeholder engagement with your activities. Most often, this involves counting people who attend your events, subscribers to your communications, or followers on social media. Another important consideration is not just how many people are engaging in your activities, but who these people are. Are you reaching beyond the ‘choir’ to those who have not yet tried conservation practices?
Outcomes
These reflect what has changed as a result of your activities and outputs. These changes are what show movement toward the project goals and objectives. You can think about short, medium, and long-term outcomes of your programming. In the behavior change approach to outreach, these outcomes could include increases in knowledge of conservation practices, changes in supportive social norms, and new skills or competencies among your farmer audiences.
Impacts
The impacts of your efforts reflect the long-term results of your programming activities. Impact refers to the change in your local conservation conditions as a result of your outreach.
Download: Key elements description