You Need a Logic Model

Evaluation & Research DesignMuseum Audiences
Written By Stephanie Downey

Museum educators, does any of this sound familiar?

You care deeply about making a positive difference in museum audiences’ lives, yet...

  • You are pulled in many directions by competing needs and agendas

  • You have limited resources and capacity

  • You need to raise money to fund your programs

  • You feel you are having a positive impact but you have no evidence, and 

  • You have been told to consider expanding or scaling up your program

If any of these are true of your museum program or department, you probably need a logic model.

A logic model is a strategy and evaluation tool that articulates how a program is intended to work and what it is envisioned to achieve. Logic models begin by defining the social problem or need that a program is meant to address and its target audience, and culminate with the desired social change or impact. In between, it maps a course for how social change happens for audiences through measurable outcomes and identifies the activities and assumptions that underlie the “logic” of the program. 

Having a logic model helps you address those persistent challenges I mentioned earlier by helping you to:

  1. Create a Shared Vision 

    A logic model clarifies and unifies your vision, ensuring everyone is working towards the same outcomes. This alignment fosters open communication and cooperation, ensuring that diverse perspectives are integrated toward common goals.

  2. Be Discerning in Resource Allocation 

    A logic model guides your decision making to allocate your limited resources and capacity more effectively and promotes long-term financial sustainability.

  3. Raise Money for Programs

    Funders want to see a clear and achievable plan for having an impact on audiences. A logic model presents your program in a structured format, making it easier to convince potential funders of your program’s value and feasibility.

  4. Demonstrate Positive Impact

    A logic model includes measurable indicators of success (outcomes), providing a framework for tracking and evaluating your impact. This evidence is critical for demonstrating your program’s effectiveness and for making informed improvements.

  5. Expand or Scale Up

    Scaling up requires a thorough understanding of what works and why. A logic model helps you pinpoint the core components of your program that drive success, ensuring that these elements are preserved and replicated as you expand.

A logic model is an invaluable tool for anyone facing challenges in your practice as a museum educator. They bring clarity, structure, and strategic focus to your work. By integrating a logic model into your program planning process, you can navigate your program towards a more impactful and sustainable future. 

Cartoon of a ghost teacher talking to ghost students. Teacher says: Remember team, the number of times you say "boo" is just an output. Our desired outcome is striking fear in the hearts of the living."
Stephanie Downey

Stephanie brings more than two decades of research and evaluation experience to her position as owner and director of Kera Collective.  

She is driven by her lifelong passions for education and equity and informed by her training as an anthropologist.

Stephanie takes pleasure in working closely with museums and other informal learning organizations to help them leverage their strengths to make a difference in the lives of people and the wider world.

Stephanie has a national presence in the museum field, regularly presenting at conferences like that of the American Alliance of Museum and the National Art Education Association, as well as teaching and guest lecturing in universities such as Bank Street College and Teachers College at Columbia University. She was on the board of directors of the Museum Education Roundtable, serving as treasurer, from 2016 until 2021. 

When not working, you can find Stephanie in the kitchen trying new recipes, cheering on her children in their various activities, and hiking trails in the Hudson River Valley.

Stephanie’s favorite museum is the Lower East Side Tenement Museum because it combines many of her favorite things: an authentic and immersive historical setting, stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, and gritty New York City.

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