Compare methods

	Logical Framework Approach	Theory-Based Impact Evaluation
Field	Development Studies	Development Studies
Family	Process / pipeline	Process / pipeline
Year of origin	1969	2009
Originator	Leon Rosenberg / Practical Concepts Inc. for USAID; later NORAD, GTZ, European Commission	Carol Weiss; Howard White (3ie)
Type	Project planning, monitoring and evaluation framework	Evaluation approach / framework
Seminal source	NORAD (1999). The Logical Framework Approach (LFA): Handbook for Objectives-Oriented Planning (4th ed.). Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Oslo.	White, H. (2009). Theory-Based Impact Evaluation: Principles and Practice. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 1(3), 271–284.
Aliases	Logframe, LFA, Logical Framework Matrix, Objectives-Oriented Planning	Theory of Change Evaluation, Contribution Analysis, Theory-Driven Evaluation, Causal-Chain Impact Evaluation
Related	4	4
Summary	The Logical Framework Approach (Logframe) is a structured planning, monitoring, and evaluation method that distils an intervention into a single four-by-four matrix linking a hierarchy of objectives to the indicators, evidence, and external conditions on which success depends. Originated by Leon Rosenberg of Practical Concepts Incorporated for USAID in 1969 and elaborated by agencies such as GTZ, NORAD, and the European Commission, it forces planners to make explicit the causal logic by which activities are expected to produce outputs, outcomes, and ultimately a development goal.	Theory-based impact evaluation evaluates a programme by first making explicit the theory of change — the causal chain of assumptions and mechanisms through which inputs are expected to produce outcomes and impacts — and then gathering evidence to test whether each link in that chain holds. Rather than treating the programme as a black box and estimating only the net effect, it asks not just whether a programme worked but why, for whom, and under what conditions. Articulated by Carol Weiss and brought into development practice by Howard White and 3ie, it complements, rather than competes with, counterfactual designs.