Program Design & Strategic Planning Flashcards

A program coordinator is building a logic model. Which section describes the direct products of program activities, such as workshops held or participants trained?

Answer: Outputs

Outputs are the direct, measurable products of program activities, such as the number of sessions delivered or participants served.

During a community needs assessment, a CPL discovers that the data from a survey conflicts with data from focus groups. What is the BEST next step?

Answer: Investigate the discrepancy by collecting additional data or re-examining methods

When data sources conflict, the best practice is to investigate the discrepancy through triangulation or additional data collection before drawing conclusions.

A Theory of Change differs from a logic model primarily because it:

Answer: Explains the assumptions and causal pathways behind expected change

A Theory of Change articulates why and how a program expects to produce change, including the underlying assumptions and causal links, while a logic model maps inputs to outcomes.

Which planning approach is MOST appropriate when a program is operating in a rapidly changing environment with high uncertainty?

Answer: Scenario planning with adaptive strategies

Scenario planning allows organizations to prepare multiple strategic responses for different possible futures, which is ideal in high-uncertainty environments.

A CPL wants to ensure their new youth program is grounded in participant needs rather than staff assumptions. Which tool is MOST effective at the design stage?

Answer: Asset mapping combined with focus groups with youth

Combining asset mapping with direct focus groups from the target population ensures program design reflects actual community strengths and participant-identified needs.

In strategic planning, a SWOT analysis is used to identify:

Answer: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats — an internal/external environmental analysis tool used in strategic planning.

When writing program goals, which characteristic distinguishes a goal from an objective?

Answer: Goals are broad statements of intent; objectives are specific, measurable steps toward goals

Goals provide broad direction and desired end states, while objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) steps that support those goals.