Planning and program development are essential to any organization. They assist in defining objectives and determine the best course-of-action and also allocate resources efficiently. However, defining and executing program development isn’t easy–it requires careful consideration of the requirements and expectations of all participants. The best method can result in a successful plan of development that has the greatest impact and ensures everyone is happy with the results.
A logic model is a common tool used to guide these efforts. This is an illustration of how daily program activities relate to the desired outcomes. It helps to plan out how your program should function in order to create change for whom and when. The model is constructed from left to right and may include arrows that show the temporal order of steps.
The first step is identifying all the inputs that are required. The next step is to identify key activities that will use these inputs. Then, you can draw out the expected outcomes of these activities, and eventually the expected outcomes (both short-term and long-term). Then the model should describe the effects these outcomes will have on the audience you are targeting.
Another important part of this method is to determine any potential risks or challenges that your program may face. Tools like environmental scanning techniques can help you identify external and internal factors that could have an impact on the performance of your program. Additionally, this stage provides an excellent opportunity to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your organization–using these insights will help you design strategies to better make your team more effective for the future.