Logic models. Theories of Change. Conceptual frameworks. Conceptual models. What’s the difference?? Does it matter? Which one should I use?

I read a lot of “impact” reports. Yes, air quotes. Yes, it’s semantics. And, yes, I’ve been down this road before. Putting aside the issue of what impact means from a research perspective versus its more colloquial use, today I want to talk about another trend I see in these reports. Specifically, the overgeneralized measures of “impact” aka the stats you are using to sell your idea (product, program, etc.).

At the early stages of an idea, you don’t need to prove impact, you need some preliminary evidence that what you are doing might be working — shoutout to correlation and other awesome phrases and terms like: observe, suggest, demonstrate, strong or compelling evidence of.