THE LOGICAL

FRAMEWORK
APPROACH

Keerti Bhusan Pradhan

keerti@aravind.org
 What is LFA?
• LFA is a systematic planning
procedure for complete project
cycle management
• It is a problem solving approach
which takes into account the
views of all stakeholders
• It also agrees on the criteria for
project success and lists the
major assumptions
 History of LFA
• Developed in response to poor
planning and monitoring of
Development projects
• The first logical framework developed
for USAID at the end of 1960’s
• GTZ was responsible for the
development of ZOPP or Zielorientierte
Projekt Planung
• NORAD made a significant contribution
in 1990 with their handbook
 LOGICAL FRAMEWORK MATRIX
Narrative Verifiable Means of Important
Summary Indicators Verification Assumptions
(OVI) (MOV)

GOAL

PURPOSE

OUTPUTS

ACTIVITIES Inputs
 KEY FEATURES OF
LOGFRAME MATRIX
The LOGFRAME MATRIX is a
participatory Planning, Monitoring &
Evaluation tool whose power depends
on the degree to which it incorporates
the full range of views of intended
beneficiaries and others who have a
stake in the programme design. It is a
tool for summarizing the key features
of a programme and is best used to
help programme designers and
stakeholders
Summary of the logical framework
Intervention Logic
• Goal
– The higher level objective towards which the
project is expected to contribute (mention target
groups)
• Purpose
– The effect which is expected to be achieved as the
result of the project.
• Outputs
– The results that the project management should
be able to guarantee (mention target groups)
• Activities
– The activities that have to be undertaken by the
project in order to produce outputs.
Cause-effect relationship among
objectives at several levels

Goal

Purpose

Outputs

under full control of

Activities
project management

Inputs beyond control of

project management
 Summary of the logical framework
Assumptions and Preconditions
• Assumptions
– Important events, conditions or decisions
outside the control of the project which must
prevail the goal.
– Important events, conditions or decisions
outside control of the project management
necessary for the achievement of the purpose.
– Important events, conditions or decisions
outside control of the project management
necessary for the production of outputs.
– Important events, conditions, decisions outside
control of the project management necessary
for the start of the project.
 Summary of the logical framework
Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVI)
• Goal
– Measures (direct or indirect) to verify to what
extent the goal is fulfilled.
• Purpose
– Measures (direct or indirect) to verify to what
extent the purpose is fulfilled.
• Outputs
– Measures (direct or indirect) to verify to what
extent the outputs are produced.

• Activities (Inputs)
– Goods, people and services necessary to
undertake the activities
Summary of the logical framework
Means of verification (MOV)
• Goal
– The sources of data necessary to verify status
of goal level indicators.
• Purpose
– The sources of data necessary to verify status
of purpose level indicators.
• Outputs
– The sources of data necessary to verify status
of output level indicators.
• Activities
– The sources of data necessary to verify status
of activity level indicators.
Objectively Verifiable Indicators
• Indicators must be valid, reliable, precise, cost-
effective and stated independently from other
levels.
• Indicators should make clear how the target group
will benefit from the realisation of outputs.
• Indicators should be specific in terms of:
– Quality (what?) - Q
– Quantity (how much?) - Q
– Time (when, how long?) - T
– Target Group (who?)- T
– Place (where?) - P
Objectively Verifiable Indicators
• The process of defining indicators forces us to clarify
our objectives. A good indicator at this level is,
a. Plausible measuring what is important in the
project
b. Attributable measuring changes caused by the
project
c. Cost-effective involving data that may be
collected and analyzed inexpensively
d. Independent not inherent to the project
e. Targeted how much.., what kind of.., by
when
f. Verifiable to reach agreement
 Key Features of Logframe
Matrix (cont’d)
• Develop a common understanding of
the expectations of a programme by
delineating a hierarchy of aims;
• Define indicators of success and
establish criteria for monitoring and
evaluation;
• Define critical assumptions on which
the programme is based; and
• Identify means of verifying
programme accomplishments
 CORE CONCEPT OF
LOGFRAME MATRIX:
MEANS AND END LOGIC
The main concept underlying the
Logical Framework is means and end.
The better the means and end
linkages between each level of aims,
the better the programme design.

By definition, each programme has a

“if-then” or “means-and-end” logic
embedded in it. If we produce certain
results under certain conditions, then
we can expect to achieve certain
other outcomes.
LogFrame-Horizontal logic

Aims measured by indicators

through information collected
and presented in specified
means of verification
THE LOGIC OF A PROGRAMME:
A SET OF LINKED HYPOTHESES
then GOAL
then
PURPOSE
if

then
OUTPUTS
if

ACTIVITIES
if
 PLAN DOWNWARDS
PLAN DOWNWARDS
Goal
Assumptions

Purpose
Assumptions
Outputs
Assumptions
Activities
Assumptions

AND THEN
Inputs
THINK UPWARDS
THE LOGICAL FRAMEWORK
MATRIX
Clear statement of:

What we can accomplish

(outputs) and

The important results we expect

in the short to medium-term
(purpose) and in the long term
(goal)
 Means of verification

The specific sources from which

the status of each of the
indicators can be ascertained
 ASSUMPTIONS AND RISKS
Assumptions and risks are external
conditions that are outside the control of
the programme. The achievement of aims
depends on whether or not assumptions
hold true and the risks do not materialize.
If cause and effect is the core concept of
good programme design, necessary and
sufficient conditions are the corollary. The
sufficient conditions between the levels in
the hierarchy of aims are the Assumptions.
This is the external logic of the
programme.
 Assumptions and Risks
(cont’d)
When working on a programme, we
make assumptions about the degree of
uncertainty between different levels of
aims. The lower the uncertainty that
certain assumptions will hold true, the
stronger the programme design. Any
experienced manager will agree that
the assumptions - the failing
assumptions - can derail a programme
as often as poorly executed outputs.
 Assumptions and Risks
(cont’d)
Logframe demands that all hypotheses,
assumptions and risks relevant to a
programme are made explicit.
By implication, this then further demands
that the appropriate action is considered
(and if necessary taken) before problems
materialise.
– How important are the assumptions
– How big are the risks
– Should the programme be redesigned?
– Should elements of the proposed programme
be abandoned?
ALGORITHM TO ASSESS EXTERNAL FACTORS
Is the external factor important?
Yes No
Will it be realised? Do not include in logical framework
(e.g. as the result of another project by external donor)
Almost certainly Do not include in logical framework
Likely Include in logical framework as Assumption

Unlikely
Programme to influence the external factor?
yes
Redesign the programme :
•add activities and/or results
•change programme purpose
(fourth column)
Is it possible to redesign the country
No
The assumption is a “killer” assumption.
From a technical point of view the
programme is not feasible, unless the
political authority finds a solution to get
around the assumption or transform it
into an acceptable assumption.
LOGFRAME MATRIX SERVES THE
FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS
• A tool for planning a logical set of
interventions
• A tool for appraising a Programme
document
• A concise summary of the Programme
• A tool for monitoring progress made
with regard to delivery of outputs and
activities
• A tool for evaluating impact of
Programme outputs, e.e. progress in
achieving purpose and goal.
Thank you.