 Hi, my name is Eric Mitchell, the Audrey Geisel University Librarian at UC San Diego. I'm joined today by Jeffrey Lu, the clinical librarian at UC San Diego. We are excited to speak with you today regarding our work in using logic models as a design and assessment framework in organizational and strategic planning. Using a case study approach, this presentation begins by defining the context and goals of our planning process, continues by exploring the logic model framework used in our planning and assessment, and concludes with an analysis of how the logic model framework informed and supported us. Let me start today by setting up the context of our assessment and planning process. I joined UC San Diego in 2018 as a university librarian and, like many new leaders, focused on understanding our organization and our strategic priority. Our library was a unique point with many leadership retirements and opportunities to look back on an organizational change that occurred about five years prior. These factors led us to a planning process that included parallel efforts to renew our strategic priorities, recruit new senior leadership, revise leadership portfolios, and evaluate the impact of previous organizational changes. To bring structure to this process, we sought out frameworks that would align our three assessment areas and help us create a renewal plan grounded in our organizational assessment, strategic priorities, and plan for organizational development. We embraced the logic model planning and assessment framework for a number of reasons that we will explore in this presentation, but at a high level, this model proved to be a good fit because of its focus on aligning activities with outcomes, its support for short and long-term assessment approaches, and its ability to represent high-level goals in connection to more detailed structures and activities. Let me turn the presentation over to Jeff to define the logic model in more detail. Logic models are visual diagrams that depict an organization's work and the intended results. By connecting library activities to outcomes, the model helps facilitate planning and assessment. It's especially useful for studying the library's impact on the broader community. Government agencies, philanthropic organizations, universities, and libraries have adopted this approach. The logic model is composed of three elements. The first is the work of an organization depicted in blue, and it consists of resources and activities. Resources are what's needed to do the work, and activities are what's done with the resources to implement a program. The second element is the intended results depicted in gold, and it's divided into outputs and outcomes. Changes are the products and services that arise from work activities. And outcomes are the changes that occur due to the program work. Outcomes are defined as three types of changes. User learning, user action, and user condition changes. A condition is the fundamental functioning in the community, including the environmental, social, economic, or civic well-being. User changes are interrelated. If users experience positive changes in learning and action, then the community may improve its condition. Additionally, program outcomes can be differentiated by time period, short, intermediate, or long-term. The last element is the relationships between the work and the intended results. We can use an if-then chain of reasoning to draw relationships as follows. If we have the requisite resources, then we expect to accomplish the planned activities. If we achieve the activities, then we hope to produce the intended outputs. If we deliver the outputs, then we may realize the outcomes of positive change in user learning and action. And finally, if users benefit, then the community may improve its condition. Logic models vary in design and are structurally flexible. Models come in different sizes and formats, suiting various organizational parameters, needs, and contexts. They can be detailed or simple and scoped at the project or organizational level. We can customize the logic model for maximum relevance. Here's an example of a customization. This is a generic logic model for library outreach services. It defines specific outcomes for outreach activities and their potential impact. Here's an example of a detailed logic model. This diagram is from the Rochester Public Library. It clearly outlines the service outputs and shows how short-term outcomes combine and build long-term impact. Logic models are used in health settings as well and contribute to program evaluation. For example, the CDC has developed an evaluation guide for its wise woman program for promoting heart-healthy lifestyles. This logic model frames the metrics and indicators for process and outcome evaluations. Logic models are appealing for their explicit, systematic, and user-centered approach. Both the articulated outcomes and relationships are beneficial to organizational strategy and focus. The clear visual communicates the strategy and contributes to a shared understanding of program goals and work. Furthermore, the outcome definitions support assessment, serving as indicators of positive change. Lastly, the user focus and the holistic exploration of different stakeholder perspectives are beneficial. Here are some limitations of logic models. First, the if-then chain of reasoning may be too reductive. We could address this shortcoming by identifying dynamic relationships in our organization and expanding our perspective to a broad range of stakeholders, activities, and contexts. Secondly, the logic model focuses on expected outcomes with risks of optimistic bias and unrealistic expectations. To address these tendencies, we need to investigate our assumptions and examine for unexpected outcomes, plus negative and neutral changes. Thirdly, a logic model represents a moment in time, as our work and community change, the logic model requires updating. We need to closely align with user outcomes to move in step with broader academic change. In learning how to apply logic model frameworks at UC San Diego, we relied on the WK Kellogg Foundation's guide to logic models. You might also find the resources and online course by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension useful as supplemental training. Relying on the Kellogg guide, we developed the model you see on your screen. In building our own framework, we implemented several modifications to help us stay focused at the right level in terms of planning. We adopted a high level orientation and focused on core library roles rather than on specific services and activities so that we could capture the whole organization through our five frames for annual goal setting. We also consolidated several model elements to focus on essential activities and services. For instance, we summarized inputs, activities, and outputs in the second column. In another simplification tactic, we omitted user learning and action outcomes from the table and presented user condition changes instead. To help us communicate to a broad range of stakeholders, including staff, users, and campus administrators, our logic model relies on text narrative for straightforward explanation and includes UC San Diego goals to demonstrate the library's support of campus priorities. Now that we have shown our high level model, I would like to talk about how we designed and validated this model. In our case, the data collection analysis and validation for our logic model occurred through our library's organization renewal process, following three phases built sequentially. In phase one, we conducted a leadership advisory and program structure analysis using library and university wide input. The outcome of phase one informed planning in phase two, where we focused on leadership renewal planning and strategic priority setting. And by the end of this phase, we had largely populated our logic model. In phase three, we implemented our plan, recruited new senior leaders for the re-envisioned administrative portfolios. Throughout our process, the logic model framework served as a way to bring together our organizational assessment and strategic planning activities. As we will observe in our finding section, the model served as a map for focusing on user centered outcomes, while also connecting our strategic priorities and organizational structures. In our finding section, we are going to explore three contribution areas with regard to the logic model. Contributions to strategic planning, leadership planning, and organizational planning. In our paper, we summarize these three essential functions of logic models and describe the model's contribution to our process. Along the Y axis in this table, you should recognize three features we've already touched on, a focus on user change outcomes, connection to broad impact and support for holistic structured planning processes. Although we do not focus on it in detail in this presentation, this structured approach was highly informative in helping us think through how we should approach direct and indirect based decision making structures. In our next three slides, we will explore the positive impact of logic models in each of the three planning areas represented along the X axis of this table. Strategic plans are simultaneously roadmaps for action, marketing documents, and tools for alignment with stakeholders, users, and library staff. It can be difficult to find the right balance for a strategic plan given these three roles, especially as many plans are formed with broad user and stakeholder input and often feature tactics for implementation along with strategic priorities. The logic model framework helps us balance these multiple roles. First, by using user change focus outcomes as the primary impact statement, the logic model frames priorities in a way that connects with users and stakeholder communities. With outcomes defined at a high level, the validation process can be highly inclusive, contributing to sustained buy-in and understanding. Second, the logic model's resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes framework can structure strategic plans to support detailed implementation and assessment procedures without losing focus on the why. And finally, the logic model serves as a relatively simple and transparent information tool. It supports communication with users by exploring user outcomes, and it supports communication within the library and the university using specific work activities and outputs. And serving is a bridge between high-level intended outcomes of an organization and the more detailed daily work needed to achieve those outcomes, the logic model provides strategic plans with a way to balance the call to action without a risk of overwhelming detail. Logic models can also provide a framework for leadership decision-making in direct and indirect reporting lines. This was useful at UC San Diego Library given the fact that leadership planning occurred in the context of multiple leadership vacancies. In our instance, the logic model was a useful tool for keeping strategic priorities and organizational needs in mind during the leadership planning. For instance, it provided a way for staff at all organizational levels to understand and discuss how their work connects to leadership decisions and actions, and it clarified where work should be done across the organization as to oppose within a specific program. And of course, finally, it provided a logic-based tool that supported delegated decision-making. Organizations often identify changes to their internal structure and operations after creating a strategic plan posing potential barriers to action. This can happen because the strengths and needs of an organization do not always surface in strategic planning activities. In the context of UC San Diego, the library had undertaken a significant restructuring approximately five years before this most recent planning process. We needed to assess the impact of these changes to ensure that the library had adapted to previous restructuring and that it was responsive to emerging needs. This internal assessment helped us ask important questions about our capacity to meet strategic priorities and the logic model proved the useful lens to explore potential changes. For example, the logic model diagrams a path from strategic priorities to resources, activities and outcomes, making this connection supports decision-making and resource allocation that are centered on user needs and long-term objectives. Now, while we have found the logic model useful, we've also noted a few drawbacks and disadvantages. First, logic models invite a high-level perspective that may overlook daily operational details and folding every library activity into the logic model can work against its legibility and utility as a communication tool and cohesive strategic document. To counteract this risk, we believe that being intentional about how granular to be in the plan is important. If more levels of detail are needed, some plans could be created to capture inputs, activities and outputs in more detail. Second, by being action-focused, logic models can be at risk of becoming obsolete if the context changes or priorities shift over time. We plan to mitigate this risk by keeping the library-wide model up-to-date through an annual renewal process. And finally, as in all strategic planning exercises, gathering a broad range of perspectives and building consensus around priorities and intended outcomes can be challenging. Additionally, making decisions about which priorities to include or which outcome areas to focus on requires an engaging and meaningful process. While the logic model provides a construct to support more detailed organizational planning, it lacks significant structures for determining priorities. Relying on broader organizational goals, employing prioritization frameworks or using consensus building activities are some possible approaches for mitigation. In summary, we feel that logic models have advantages for libraries and that they help libraries address some of our own unique challenges. Specifically, logic models help us align our activities with long-term outcomes, improving our ability to plan and assess. And additionally, logic models provide a clear path between the work, between our work and broader organizational goals. Thank you.