PYB300 Chap.4 Aims, Activities and Outcomes
Aims, Activities and Outcomes
Every later section of the prospectus has to agree with three statements: the aim, the activities and the outcomes.
This chapter follows Tutorial 3. It shows how to write an aim that names the target group, the need and a change word, how to build short, medium and long-term outcomes that are clear and measurable, and how to keep activities, which can be completed, separate from outcomes, which describe change in the target group.
What this chapter covers
- 01
What an aim is and how many a program needs
- 02
Three checks on an aim: target group, need, change word
- 03
Outcomes as the difference the program makes
- 04
Short, medium and long-term outcomes and how they connect
- 05
Measurable outcomes: how much, for whom, by when
- 06
Activities as observable, completable tasks
- 07
Outcome wording in the program logic versus the program description
Worked example · free
Write a connected outcome chain
- 1Short term, at completion: by the end of the first ten-week group, 70% of participants report that at least one school staff member knows about their caring role.
- 1Medium term, following on: six months after joining, 60% of participants have an agreed school support plan such as flexible homework deadlines.
- 1Long term, mirroring the aim: by December 2029, school absence among identified young carers in the region falls by 20% from its 2027 level.
Key terms
- Program aim
- An overarching statement identifying the need and what the program will achieve, tightly linked to its long-term outcomes.
- Short-term outcome
- A change expected when the program, or one of its activities, is completed.
- Medium-term outcome
- A change that follows on from the short-term outcomes, usually measured months after participation.
- Long-term outcome
- The change most strongly linked to the aim, which often takes two to five years to appear.
- Activity
- An observable task or service that can be completed, such as a training program, campaign or group, undertaken to achieve the outcomes.
Aims, Activities and Outcomes FAQ
How many aims should a program have?
Tutorial 3 says most programs have one overarching aim. Programs that tackle complex issues may have more than one, but no aim should rely on another being achieved first. The aim can be redrafted right up to the deadline, as long as it stays tightly linked to the long-term outcomes.
How do we decide what a realistic percentage change is?
The grant FAQ admits this is tricky and suggests two approaches. Look at the levels of change other programs expect to bring about, and check national or state goals for the behaviour, which may be suitable to transfer to your program. Whatever you choose, state it consistently across the program description and the evaluation.
Do outcomes in the program description need to be more detailed than in the logic?
Yes. The grant FAQ says the program description has to set out short, medium and long-term outcomes, worded more specifically and measurably than in the program logic. The Week 5 workshop shows the logic version as a shorter statement and the description version with the specific target and date, keeping the message consistent.
Is recruiting staff an outcome?
No, it is an activity: it can be done and ticked off whether or not anyone in the target group changes. Outcomes describe the difference the program makes to people, such as greater confidence, a new behaviour or reduced harm. Keep recruitment, training and service set-up in the activities column and the implementation plan.
Should evaluation work appear among the activities?
Yes. Tutorial 3 asks teams to be thorough with activities and to consider including the development and refinement of the final evaluation framework, along with anything else the evaluation needs. Listing it as an activity keeps it in the implementation plan and the budget, rather than leaving evaluation as an afterthought.
Exam move
Write the aim and the long-term outcome together, then read them aloud side by side; if they describe different changes, rewrite one. Work backwards to the short-term outcomes by asking what must change first for the long-term change to become possible, using the reinforcing factors from your theory of change worksheet.
Test every outcome with the three questions of how much, in whom and by when, and move anything that can simply be completed into the activities list.
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