Differentiating Program Evaluation Logic Terms

Thanks to EPA Administrator and blogger, Marcus Peacock, and the EVALTALK contributors, here is an interesting and useful way to distinguish between the terms used in many common forms of logic models (The Flow of the River, http://flowoftheriver.epa.gov/my_weblog/2007/10/getting-juiced-.html)

Nectarine Juice Production Program

Performance Measurement

• The inputs are nectarines and a hammer
• The activity is smashing nectarines with a hammer
• The output is how many nectarines got smashed
• The outcome is how much juice resulted
• The impact is the improved health of the people who drink nectarine juice

Program Evaluation

• How well is the program producing nectarine juice using the current inputs?
• Is a hammer really the most effective intervention for producing nectarine juice? What are the alternatives?
• What is the nectarine juice production program’s specific contribution to the improvement of national public health?

I'm not a devoted fan of juice, but the example helps me understand the way people may use the terms. The program "Juice Production Initiative" further illustrates that programs have both resources (objects) and activities (processes) to organize and make use of for a desired end.