How do I write a logframe for a donor proposal?

Work top-down for logic and bottom-up for feasibility: define the Goal, the Outcome(s) the project is accountable for, the Outputs it will deliver, and the Activities that produce them. Then attach at least one SMART indicator per row, name the means of verification, and state the assumptions that must hold for each level to lead to the next. The LogFrame Builder walks each step and prints the standard 4×4 matrix.

What are means of verification in a logframe?

Means of verification name the concrete data source you will use to measure each indicator: for example survey rounds, administrative records, attendance registers, or spot-check observations. Good MoVs are specific about the source, frequency, and who collects it.

Can I generate a logframe from my theory of change?

Yes: the LogFrame Builder imports directly from the Theory of Change Workbench, mapping impact to Goal, outcomes to Outcomes, outputs to Outputs and activities to Activities, so you refine an existing causal map instead of starting from a blank matrix.

LogFrame Builder | ImpactMojo

1 · Frame the problem, name the Goal

Every LogFrame starts with a problem worth solving and a long-term Goal (sometimes called Impact) your project contributes to, but does not achieve alone.

Results ladder: Goal → Outcomes → Outputs → Activities. Read it top-down as "we want this, so we need these outcomes, which need these outputs, produced by these activities." Read bottom-up with "if…then" to test your logic.

Project / programme name The development problem What situation are you trying to change? Who is affected, and how? Goal / Impact statement The higher-level change your project contributes to. One sentence.

2 · Build the results ladder

Add the vertical logic: the Outcomes that deliver your Goal, the Outputs that deliver each Outcome, and the Activities that produce those Outputs. Write summaries only: indicators come next.

Test as you go: read upward with "if…then". If we run these activities, then we deliver these outputs; if the outputs land, then the outcome follows. If a jump feels like a leap of faith, that gap is really an assumption (Step 5).

3 · Add SMART indicators

How will you know each result happened? Add one or more indicators per result: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Good indicator = number + noun + qualifier + timeframe. "% of enrolled girls attending ≥80% of school days, by end of Year 2" beats "improved attendance". One line per indicator.

4 · Means of verification

For each result, where does the evidence come from? Name the data source, method, and who collects it. An indicator you can't measure affordably isn't done yet.

Means of Verification (MoV) examples: school attendance registers (monthly, by field officer); baseline & endline household survey; MIS export; FGD transcripts. One line per source.

5 · Assumptions & risks

The horizontal logic: what must hold true, outside your control, for each level to lead to the next? These are the conditions that, if they fail, break the chain.

Assumption vs. risk: state it as a positive condition you're counting on ("families continue to permit girls' school travel"). If an assumption is both critical and shaky, it's a risk: flag it and plan a mitigation. One line per assumption.

Your Logical Framework

The classic 4×4 LogFrame. Print it (landscape) or export to reuse in a proposal. Everything auto-saves to this device.

Results chain (narrative summary)	Indicators	Means of verification	Assumptions