Using the Logic Model for Planning and Evaluation: Examples for New Users

The relationship of tobacco use and many difficult chronic health problems is well—renowned, as are efforts to reduce tobacco product use, and thus, lower the incidence and mortality of tobacco-related disease. Common methods of planning and evaluation, such as logic modeling, in tobacco control initiatives used by public health staff and nongovernmental organizations, are lesser known to health activists in other nations and to direct health care providers in the United States, such as home health administrators, who can mobilize resources to do their part and reduce morbidity from tobacco-related disease. The purpose of this article is to describe basic components of a logic model (LM), its uses for new groups as late adopters, and four common challenges or pitfalls in LM construction with proposed solutions to prevent these problems. An example of elementary synthetic estimation is provided for output calculations and LM examples are given from an international planning workshop for tobacco control that can be used by community-based organizations and home health administrators, new to LM use.